If you have farmland in Samtse but it remains fallow with no one to work on it, you need not worry. There is an answer. Thanks to the Dzongkhag administration. With the motive to revive fallow land and achieve food self-sufficiency, the Samtse district administration is encouraging youth to take up mass commercial farming in abandoned farmland.
The landowner can directly get in touch with the dzongkhag administration that facilitates the youth carrying out mass farming with the fallow farmland they can work on.
With most of the landowners growing old and no one left in the village to work, the wetlands in Tashichhoeling Gewog, which measure up to around 160 acres, have been lying fallow for ages now. About 60 households in Peljorling village have farmland there.
According to the district administration, rural-urban migration, labour shortage, poor irrigation facilities, and human-wildlife conflict are some of the main reasons compelling farmers to abandon their farmland. Today, about 5,000 acres of wetland in Samtse are fallow.
“We have about 12,000 acres of wetland in Samtse. From that, given the limited number of farmers and ability to work, only about 7,000 acres of wetland in Samtse is being utilised,” said the Samtse Dzongda, Pasang Dorji.
But the fallow land is expected to be revived soon. Encouraging youth to take up mass cultivation, the dzongkhag has recently leased about 280 acres of uncultivated wetland in Yoeseltse and Tashichhoeling Gewogs to a youth group from Thimphu.
“As soon as the youth group showed interest in the programme, I have personally visited various places where lands were left fallow. “I met with them and told them about the new initiative. Many landowners were willing to give up their lands as they cannot work on them,” said the Dzongda.
Under this new venture, initially, the youth group plans to start by planting paddy on about 60 acres of wetland in July. They will then try their hands at growing various winter vegetables.
According to the district administration, a public consultation meeting with various landowners was also held recently to discuss the matter.
Accordingly, they have all agreed to let the youth group use their farmland for three years for free for now, After three years if things go well, officials say they plan on landowners getting compensated.
The new initiative is also expected to help the district in achieving the goal of reviving 1,200 acres of underutilised wetland by the end of the 12th FYP.
Passang Dorji, Samtse
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
