The farmers of Toedtsho Gewog in Trashi Yangtse have been without an agriculture extension supervisor for almost two years now. Without a dedicated official, besides the farmers, the gewog office is also facing difficulties in planning and implementing agriculture-related development activities. Though Khamdang Gewog’s agriculture Extension supervisor has been temporarily monitoring activities in Toedtsho Gewog, farmers say they still face inconveniences.
These days the farmers of Toedtsho Gewog are busy adding manure to their fields. They cultivate paddy, maize and vegetables. Although they do their best to improve crop productivity, without an agriculture extension supervisor in the gewog, farmers do not get timely services and intervention from the gewog agriculture extension office. The gewog agriculture extension supervisor has been on Extra Ordinary Leave since the mid of 2021.
“Without an agriculture extension official, we don’t get vegetable seedlings and pesticides on time. As we don’t have an agriculture extension supervisor in our gewog, it is difficult for us to go to other gewogs and seek the services,” said Daza, a farmer.
“When our potatoes are harvested, we used to seek help from the agriculture extension supervisor. The official used to advise us where to sell our harvest and also update us on the price in the market but now we are facing problems,” said Chorten Zangmo, another farmer.
“When we had the agriculture extension official in our gewog, we used to get sufficient seedlings but now we don’t get much. In the past, the official would visit the villages frequently and monitor our crops but now we rarely see agriculture officials visiting us,” said Tashi Wangmo, a farmer.
Toedtsho Gup said planning works are getting affected without an agriculture extension official.
“During the five-year tenure, all the planning and development activities have to be carried out by the Gewog officials but without an agriculture extension supervisor in the Gewog, providing agriculture services to the farmers and planning development activities in Gewog are getting affected,” said Dechen Wangdi, Toedtsho Gup.
Trashi Yangtse’s officiating agriculture officer said as the previous extension supervisor is on Extra Ordinary Leave, monitoring works in Toedtsho Gewog are looked after by Khamdang Gewog’s agriculture extension supervisor as the gewogs are located nearby. However, the official is expected to join the office soon.
Meanwhile, a few gewogs in Trashigang are also without agriculture extension supervisors. However, the Agriculture Department recently listed the gewogs as having a shortage of extension supervisors.
Sonam Darjay, Trashi Yangtse
Edited by Kipchu
