Most of the farmers in Tsirang practice agriculture on rain-fed farms. About 97 percent of their produce is maize and by this time of year, the farmers would have harvested their first yield of the year. But, not this time. The dry monsoon, one of the worst, in many years, has severely impacted the produce.
A farmer in Tsirang, Deki Pelzom, wonders what she and her family members would eat in a time to come. “We planted as much as we could. We worked till our hands blistered and went numb.”
Another farmer from Barshong Meoh village, Sangla, is also worried. He too lost his crops to the dry summer season. He is worried if he can save some seeds for the next plantation. “I don’t think I can keep aside seeds from the poor yield that we had. I might have to buy them.”
Barshong Gewog’s mangmi, Tshering Zangpo said, they have submitted a report Dzongkhag Agriculture Officer and are waiting for a response.
The Dzongkhag Agriculture Officer, Pema Chophel, said it is about time to construct water reservoirs. “In such critical situation the government should not only think about compensation but plan on how we could solve the issue in entirety,” he said.
