The recent lockdown in Tsirang has interrupted the supply of imported green chillies, resulting in a severe shortage of chillies in the district, especially in Damphu Town.
Since the spice is the most sought-after vegetable and unmissable on any Bhutanese menu, residents desperately hope for imported chillies to arrive soon.
Due to lockdown relaxations in Damphu Town since Sunday, residents have stepped out for shopping essentials. But much to their dismay, they saw no sight of green chillies in the market.
It is customary for any Bhutanese dish to have chillies to add taste and flavour.
Residents visited almost every grocery and vegetable shop, looking for chillies but found none.
“I came here to buy green chilli but vegetable vendors here say it is not available. So I am taking dried chilli,” said one of the residents, Pancha Bir Tamang.
Another resident, Pema Wangmo, said green chillies were out of stock since the announcement of the lockdown last month. “We crave green chillies but have no option but to do with whatever is available in town.”
Despite being a vegetable hub of the country, most gewogs in Tsirang do not grow chillies around this time of the year.
Only Barshong and Sergithang cultivate chillies. But the crop is transported to the capital to meet the demand.
So, to ensure a continuous supply of vegetables, mainly chillies, the Food Corporation of Bhutan (FCB) has been bringing in the spice from India since last month.
This has been arranged as a temporary measure. However, after unloading two consignments of spices in the district, the supply was halted due to the lockdown.
The vendors cited other reasons such as the incessant rainfall in India that has impeded harvesting chillies.
“We ordered 1,000 kilograms of green chilli on 6th February but we still didn’t get it. When I asked the FCB, it said the stock is yet to come from India. Vendors who placed the orders before us is also pending,” said one of the vegetable vendors in Damphu, Singye Wangchuk.
The district agriculture officer said they cannot intervene since the import is being facilitated by the FCB.
However, the Tsirang FCB depot clarified that the third consignment of chillies from India has been delayed since no vehicles are coming from Gelephu owing to the lockdown.
But they assured that the consignment will be ferried by an FCB vehicle in the next few days.
Until then, people there will have to cope with dried chillies.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Pema Lhaden
