Jul 1, 2008 (DVB), Cyclone-affected farmers in Daydaye township, Irrawaddy division, have faced difficulties with rice cultivation due to the lack of paddy seeds and tractors, local farmers said.

A farmer told DVB that even though they had received support from authorities and private donors, they were still unable to cultivate effectively because they had not been provided with enough paddy seeds and hand tractors for their farmlands.

"Authorities can supply a village tract with a maximum of six tractors. There are 2000-3000 acres of paddy field in each tract, so it is not enough." said the farmer.

"They have also provided us with diesel fuel for tractors, but not enough. If we buy it, it will cost us 3000 kyat for a gallon of diesel," he went on.

"As for paddy seeds, each farmer was given only 5-6 tin (approximately 320-380 kg). We must sow 1.5-2 tin of paddy in each acre."

Private donors have provided Daydaye farmers with Chinese-made one-wheel hand tractors but the number was limited.

"They could only donate a maximum of seven tractors to each village," the farmer said.

"Those tractors have a very limited capacity and each can only cultivate about 20 acres over the whole harvest season. Some donors also included fuel when they donated tractors."

DVB has learnt that about 90 percent of buffalo and cows belonging to Daydaye farmers were killed when the cyclone struck the area.

Analysts have predicted that Burma will face rice shortages in the coming year if rice cultivation cannot be carried out in the Irrawaddy Delta in time.

Reporting by Khin Hnin Htet