Cardamom growers in Pema Gatshel have been struggling without proper equipment to dry cardamom. At the moment, they use a locally made dryer which they say is time-consuming and affects their health.
Cardamom cultivation is on the rise in the chiwog. But farmers say the use of a locally made dryer affects the environment and their health.
“We try maintaining distance from the fire. We do not immediately start drying the cardamom once we start a fire. This is done so that the smoke doesn’t affect our health. But we end up burning almost a truck load of firewood during one season. And that’s because we have to dry it several times,” said Mindru Wangdi, a farmer of Khangma.
“With more farmers cultivating cardamom annually, we are worried about the impacts it has on our forest. It’s easier for people like us who have houses near the forest area. But for those who are located far, people end up cutting trees near the roadside area to dry cardamom,” said Ugyen Dorji, another farmer.
However, the dzongkhag agriculture sector is planning to distribute five electric dryers based on a pilot project soon.
“This year we couldn’t supply them. But by next year we have a plan to provide five drying machines in the gewog. With this machine, they can maintain the quality. Today, the smoke spoils the quality,” said Sonam Dorji, the gewog agriculture extension officer.
The district plans to support more households if the pilot project is found effective and efficient. Today, more than 100 households in the chiwog grow cardamom and it is one of their main sources of income.
Farmers in Pema Gatshel started growing cardamom since 2012.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Sonam Pem
