Farmers of Yoeseltse Gewog in Samtse are all smiles as the district’s first ever livestock sales counter was inaugurated, today.
The Dzongkhag livestock sector constructed the Nu 1.5 million counter to create market for the farmers to sell their dairy products.
Twenty six-year-old Sangay Wangchuk and his wife were chosen by the villagers in the Gewog to take responsibility of the sales counter.
It has been over two years since Sangay Wangchuk, a graduate, left his job and returned to his village to rear cattle and sell dairy products.
Today, he is proud of what he does and aims to promote dairy farming.
“I hope to run the counter as long as possible. Because by promoting our own products, we will be able to cut down the import of dairy products. It is also to help generate income for the villagers and encourage them to continue dairy farming.”
At the sales counter, cheese, butter, milk, curd, paneer and eggs are available at reasonable prices.
Sangay and his wife plans to collect dairy products from far flung areas and sell it.
During the inaugural ceremony, Samtse Dzongda said such initiative will not only attract locals but also people from India residing near the border areas.
“When such initiatives are coming up, it signifies the hard work and dedication of our farmers. It shows the development in livestock sector.”
However, transportation of the products and its sustainability is a concern.
“Before, even if we have six farmers group in Yoeseltse, we could not sell our products due to lack of market. We even went door to door to sell our products. But from today we are very happy that we need not struggle to market our produce,” said a farmer of Yoeseltse, Jamtsho.
The Dzongkhag Livestock Officer, Karma Dorji said the counter will be able to provide buyers with clean products.
“We had to construct the counter due to lack of proper market and also to avoid farmers in selling their products in unhygienic places such as Sabji bazaar and some open shops.”
Samtse Dzongkhag has 20 farmers group.
