One of the biggest challenges for farmers in the country is getting sufficient water supply for farming. And while it was the same for farmers of Leyphu village in Trashigang for quite some time, the problem is now no more. The villagers have found a simple solution that is by digging pits and using tarpaulin sheets to harvest and store water.
Using this low-cost method, farmers are able to grow vegetables even during the dry winter months.
Shacha Dorji, one of the villagers said that he couldn’t cultivate much last year, and still I made around Nu 8,000. “This year, I increased my vegetable cultivation, and I plan to expand even further.”
This new method of storing water was started only in 2021, after the villagers were introduced to it by the Agriculture Research and Development Center (ARDC).
Besides harvesting rainwater, the farmers also sometimes fill the ponds with water from the drinking water supply.
Before people started using the tarpaulin ponds, they used water from a groundwater for their gardening works. But they say it wasn’t enough for all.
“Before, we didn’t have water here and we could not cultivate anything. We didn’t even have enough drinking water. It was a big problem. I would fetch only around Nu 8000 to Nu 9000 from selling vegetables. However, last year, I earned around Nu 25, 000,” said Lhamo Youden, another villager.
Farmers grow varieties of vegetables but they mostly cultivate beans and Asparagus.
Besides technical expertise, the ARDC in Wangdue Phodrang also provided the farmers with tarpaulin sheets and water pipes for free.
Sonam Darjay, Trashigang
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
