By next year, Bhutan is expected to have three new varieties of tomatoes. This is to curb imports and achieve tomato sufficiency in the country through the tomato variety development project. Funded by the Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative, the project is a part of developing vegetable varieties in Asia. The 6th Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiatives began in the capital today.
14 countries presented projects related to food security during the three-day Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiatives event today. And Bhutan presented on developing tomato variety.
Beginning 2019, the National Center for Organic Agriculture bought 50 seeds from the World Vegetable Center that were screened and evaluated. Of which seven were selected.
The final selection of the three best tomato seeds will be based on their resistance to pests and climate change.
“After selecting the three best samples, we will put them in the variety releasing committee. We are hopeful that the three best varieties will be released by the committee under the Ministry of Agriculture. Further, this will be given to the seed centre,” said Laxmi Thapa, Deputy Chief Research Officer under the National Center for Organic Agriculture at Yusipang in Thimphu.
The Department of Agriculture has identified tomatoes as one of the priority crops in the country besides chilli and onion.
“At the moment, we are focusing on tomato variety development because tomato varieties are hardly good in our country. We have only two varieties which are Roman and Ratan. Now, these varieties have degenerated. So, this project focuses on developing tomato varieties to offer the farmers the best varieties of tomato seed in the field,” added Laxmi Thapa.
As per the Bhutan Trade Statistics 2020, tomato and onion imports stand the highest in the country.
Bhutan imported tomatoes worth more than Nu 1.6 M in 2020. But this could change with the country trying to become self-sufficient in tomato production.
Kelzang Choden
Edited by Sonam Pem
