With many people taking up farming on a commercial scale to small kitchen gardens, it’s been difficult for the farmers to sell farm produce in Pema Gatshel. However, the government’s new buyback scheme is expected to take the burden off their shoulders. The new scheme will allow farmers to prioritise crops and vegetables that contribute to achieving national food security, have better nutritional value and have the potential for higher income.
The government initiated the buyback scheme considering the poor market situation for the product due to the pandemic.
Rinchen Zangpo from Yangmalashing under Dechhenling Gewog is a retired armed force personal. After his retirement, he ventured into growing vegetables and other crops. But due to the poor market situation, he had to throw away half of his farm produce last season.
“I have cultivated vegetables in more than an acre of land. And I have cultivated onions on about 30 decimals of land. But when there are no places to sell, the produce remains like this,” said Rinchen Zangpo.
“The civil servants and farmers are showing keen interest in farming. So, when everyone produces at the same time and when there’s no place to sell the farm produce, it’s difficult to get a market,” said Choni Rabten, Nangkor-Shumar Tshogpa.
However, this is likely to change with the new buyback scheme. The Labour and Human Resources Minister in his recent visit to the district shared the news with the farmers.
He said through the new scheme, the agriculture ministry will identify the crops and vegetables and fix the rates. In this way, farmers will be encouraged to grow crops that fetch better prices and are in demand.
“The price will be fixed according to the value and nutrition of the crops. This is a plan to make everyone consume nutritious food in the country besides benefitting the farmers,” said Labour and Human Resources Minister, Karma Dorji.
The announcement has come as a relief to the farmers.
“Such a system will benefit us. We don’t have to take travel to sell the produce by incurring huge expenditures,” said Sangay Dorji, Arden-Khalatsho Tshogpa.
“Farmers are happy. They have started taking more interest and dedication to work in the fields. They have also expanded the farming area,” said Choni Rabten, Nangkor Shumar Tshogpa.
“We will be able to make income without having to travel to sell our farm produce with the buyback system. We are also informed that we will get chain link fencing. This will help us earn more by growing areca nut,” said Pema Tshomo, a farmer.
“If such support is provided by the government, we would be benefited a lot. For farmers like us, it is always better to earn something than let our hard work go to waste,” said Rinchen Zangpo.
The agriculture ministry plans to roll out the scheme soon. Today, the farmers in Pema Gatshel grow potatoes, maize, sugar cane, onion, and cassava on a commercial scale besides other vegetables.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Sonam Pem
