People of Thasa at Tsangkha Gewog in Dagana are overjoyed with the sale of green lentils. This year they have been blessed with a bountiful yield. Green lentils, locally known as dal are one of the main sources of income for the people of Thasa.
Locals started growing the legume on a commercial scale a few years ago to boost their income. A kilogram of green lentils fetches Nu 100 to Nu 150 at the local outlets. 40-year-old Dawa Tshering Drukpa grows lentils on a commercial scale. He earned a profit of Nu 350,000 from its sale last year. Compared to other crops, lentils are easy to grow and store.
” We cannot grow orange and cardamom here because it’s quite hot. Therefore dal is one of the main sources of income for us. Growing dal is easy as it doesn’t require much labour. We have to just sow the seeds and do some weeding during the flowering season. Then it will ripe on its own,” says Dawa Tshering.
“Growing dal benefits us in many ways. For instance, it’s the source of our expenses to educate children. Last year I sold over 300 kilograms of dal for Nu 100 per kilogram,” adds Jug Bahadur.
Around this time of the year, farmers at Thasa get busy thrashing dried bean plants to separate the beans from its shell.
With the village now connected to a farm road, people are motivated to grow green lentils in abundance. Green lentils are known for its high nutrition value
Namgay Wangchuk
