Farmers in Dagana need not worry about finding a market for their produce. The District Administration has opened a sales outlet at the KaJa Throm in Thimphu for farm produce from Dagana. The District’s Agriculture Officer says this will ease the marketing challenges for the farmers in Dagana.
The lack of a proper market has always remained a challenge for many farmers across the country. For the farmers in Dagana, things have changed for the good following the opening of a farmers’ sales outlet in Dagapela last year.
To ease the market issue further, Dagana opened a sales outlet in the capital as an extension of the outlet in the district. The outlet has two stalls that sell organic vegetables and fruits from Dagana.
The farmers in Dagana are already imagining the benefits of having an outlet in Thimphu.
“We faced a lot of difficulties selling our products like cabbage and chilli in the past. Now, we are hopeful that we will be able to sell and it is also going to be convenient for us,” said Lal Bdr Limboo, a farmer.
A couple has taken the initiative to operate the sales outlet at their own risk. And they seem to be optimistic about it.
“I was into small business before. I used to buy stuff from Dagana and sell them in Wangdue. Now, the agricultural officer in our gewog said that there is an opportunity for us and told us to grab this opportunity. So, we are taking this opportunity today, and the placement here is also good. Therefore, I am hopeful that this will go well,” said Bishnu Maya Subba, the operator.
One of the main motives for opening the outlet in the capital is to promote organic products from Dagana.
The sales outlet is committed to bring only local products and not sell any imported goods.
“While the outlet in Dagana will act as a collection centre, the outlet here will provide a choice of local goods to the consumers since we are not going to sell imported goods. The sales outlet here will not act as a retailer but as a wholesaler. So, we want to see if this can solve the marketing issues that we are facing now. It’s like a trial marketing for now,” said Kinley Namgay, Assistant District Agriculture Officer.
The Department of Agriculture Marketing Cooperatives or DAMC which took over the Centenary Farmers’ Market two years ago has also exempted the outlet operator from paying three months’ rent.
Devika Pradhan
