For over a year now, farmers have not been able to use the Sunday vegetable market shed in Dewathang. The shed which was constructed in 2014 is today a temporary shelter for thromde’s workers. And with no proper place to sell vegetables, farmers have to visit every shop to sell their produce.
With no proper place to sell the vegetables, villagers say it has been hindering them in selling their produce. The farmers have been visiting every shop in the town carrying the vegetables and selling them and this oftentimes proved to be challenging.
Earlier, villagers from Dewathang Gewog and Bangtsho Constituency of Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde sell their vegetables at the Sunday vegetable market.
Chenzom, a vendor at the vegetable shed from Dewathang said, “we used to take vegetables there when it was open. We took a few quantities of vegetables and sell there but now with the vegetable market closed we are cannot do as it was in the past. Shopkeepers won’t buy vegetables in small quantity.”
The farmers had resorted to selling vegetables at wholesale rate to the shopkeepers.
Kezang, a farmer said, “with that market being closed, we have to sell our vegetables to the shops at a cheaper rate.”
“Without a vegetable market, we are facing a lot of problems. We have to sell our vegetables to the shops,” said Tshewang Zangmo, another vegetable vendor in Dewathang.
However, Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde officials said that the vegetable market was not a busy market like before, which is why the shed was later converted to a temporary shelter for the workers.
Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde Thuemi Penjor said, “road widening works will be complete in coming two to three months. Once the works are complete, we plan to repair the vegetable shed and hand over to a few villagers to operate it.”
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
