The use of greenhouse has opened new gardening possibilities in an extremely cold place like Merak in Trashigang. Villagers there now grow vegetables even in winter, something that was unheard of or rare until recently.
Located at about 3,500 metres above the sea level, growing vegetables was something next to impossible. But after the government started providing the villagers with greenhouses, they have been able to grow vegetables.
In the past, people of Merak bartered their dairy products with vegetables and other necessities. “Vegetables were hard to come by. We had to go to Phongmey and Radhi gewogs to get vegetables,” said 50-year-old Pem Lhaden.
Pem Lhaden who until recently spent much of her days weaving now sets aside some time to work in her greenhouse where she has grown spring onion and garlic at the moment.
Merak Gup Lama Rinchen says the gewog has plans to procure more greenhouses worth over Nu 15, 00,000. “When signing the annual gewog performance agreement with the Prime Minister, we pledged to work towards growing our own vegetables. But for that to happen, I told the agriculture ministry that it should provide us with greenhouses and seeds, which they did,” said Gup Lama Rinchen.
Merak gewog was first provided with greenhouses in 2014 by the Department of Forests and Park Services. Today, some 25 greenhouses dot the settlements in Merak.
