A bite that is costing the country millions. But that might change. In a move towards making Bhutan self-sufficient in Doma and Paney, a group of entrepreneurs is buying most of the betel nut grown in Samtse. Today, farmers sell betel nut to India. Despite growing enough, the country again imports at double the price.
Twenty-nine-year-old Parshuram Sharma along with his two partners started the Doma business earlier this year. While his partners look after the manufacturing and packaging unit at Paro, Parshuram stays at Samtse and collects betel nut from the local growers. They have been storing it at the FCBL auction yard in Samtse for the last few months.
The betel nut is then carefully counted and packed to be sent to Paro. The packaging team in Paro makes it ready for the market. The group currently sells one pon or eighty pieces of peeled betel nut for Nu 430 in Paro and Thimphu.
“As of now, Doma is sold in India. And later on, when there is a deficit, we buy it back from India at double the rate. So, what we are trying to do here is break this chain of business. Without relying on India, we will buy all the Doma grown in the country and sell it within the country,” said Parshuram, Co-founder of Druk Dramzang Doma.
However, the team is currently finding it difficult to sell their product in the import driven market. People prefer the betel nut from India which is bigger.
“We have a lot of Doma and now the next season for Doma is nearing. If we cannot sell it by June or July, next year, it will be very difficult for us,” he said.
The group however is planning to seek help. He said, “If we want to be independent, we need to recognize and accept the fact that we have the product here only and we don’t have to rely on another country. We have the resources, let’s work and make Doma for ourselves. This would be the first thing we have to build up in our minds. Secondly, if the relevant government agencies can intervene and help us with the problem that we are facing, I think we can become independent in Doma.”
According to the Trade Statistics 2021, Bhutan exported betel nut worth about Nu 80 M to India between April and June this year. But the report also shows that the country imported betel nut worth nearly Nu 60 M in the same period.
Parshuram and his two partners are trying to break this trend. The Samtse District Administration helped them get a loan of nearly Nu 3 M through the National Credit Guarantee Scheme. The group today employs nearly 30 people in Samtse and Paro. If things work out well, the team also plans to expand their business and collect betel nuts from other districts as well.
Passang Dorji/Namgay Wangchuk
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
