The Farm Machinery Corporation Limited (FMCL) office in Sarpang could not increase its commercial paddy cultivation as planned, all due to the COVID-19 situation. This season, the office had planned to grow paddy in 71 acres of fields, almost a double-fold increase from last year.
The FMCL’s paddy cultivation works that were in full swing came to an abrupt halt when a nationwide lockdown was imposed in the country. And this happened during the cultivation’s peak period. The movement to their fields was restricted as the area falls under the Thromde’s jurisdiction. Moreover, Sarpang experienced the country’s longest lockdown period of more than a month.
“During the lockdown, we approached the COVID-19 Task Force twice for approval to work in our fields but was denied. We could carry out the irrigation works only after the lockdown was lifted. We actually thought of doing weeding in the fields. At the moment, Kamja, the rice variety we are growing is in its flowering stage and if we do weeding now, the yield will be hampered,” said Rinzin Jamtsho, the Farm Manager with the FMCL in Gelegphu.
This year, due to the COVID-19 situation the FMCL in Gelegphu is growing paddy only in 25 acres, roughly one-third of the targeted acreage.
“Last year, we had 40 acres of paddy fields and cultivated Khamtey. The harvest was around 19 metric tonnes. This year, we targeted 71 acres but could cover only 25 acres. However, the harvest this time will be more than last year because Kamja gives more yield than Khamtey,” he added.
The FMCL started commercial paddy cultivation in Sarpang from 2017 on leased private lands that were left fallow due to shortage of labourers. Besides making the best of available arable fields, the initiative is to contribute to the national goal of attaining rice self-sufficiency.
Karma Wangdi
