It is the season to cultivate vegetables in Samdrup Jongkhar, but farmers of Pemathang are worried. The gewog has been without an agriculture extension officer for almost a year. An agriculture extension officer works together with farmers and provides technical support and farming materials.
Farmers in Pemathang grow almost all kinds of vegetables. But most of them grow ginger as their main cash crop. This season, most of the ginger plants have been dying, and the farmers do not know why.
Chandra Bahadur Waglay says they normally get farming materials such as seeds and pesticides from the extension officer. “All my ginger crops are dying. We don’t have an agriculture extension officer to help us. It is very important to have one.”
Another resident of Pemathang, Ghanashyam Pokhrel, said it is difficult for the farmers to address the problems they are facing without an agriculture extension officer.
Radhika Pokhrel is worried because they are having difficulty getting seeds. “Without an agriculture officer, we can’t get the seeds. They aren’t available in the market due to the pandemic.”
According to the Dzongkhag Agriculture Officer, like last year, he has instructed the officers of nearby gewogs to provide all the necessary support to the villagers of Pemathang Gewog.
He added that he has written a letter to the agriculture ministry about the issue. He has been told to wait till December.
Pemathang has a population of more than 3000 people and most of them depend on agriculture for a living.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
