In Phuentshogling, hundreds of quintals of potatoes are rotting as farmers wait to get their potatoes auctioned. Some farmers said they have been waiting for nearly two weeks to have their produce auctioned while their potatoes remain loaded in trucks. Farmers are worried that returns from the sale of potatoes won’t even meet the expenses for growing potatoes.
Sacks of rotten potatoes can be seen in the auction yard in Phuentshogling. Fluids from the rotting vegetables have formed pools in the yard. This is happening as farmers wait for days to get their potatoes auctioned. A temporary parking area has been identified near the Amo Chhu where the trucks are made to wait. Farmers said that having to wait for more than a week with potatoes loaded in the trucks is only making them lose more of their produce.
“I have been here for a week now. My potato is still there in the truck parking. It is uncertain when I will be able to take the potatoes to the auction yard again. As we wait, we have to pay halt charges to the truck drivers. I am worried if I will even be able to pay for my accommodation here and the vehicle charges. Since I do not have any acquaintances here, I am staying in a hotel,” said Zeckom, a farmer from Dungna in Chhukha.
“Some drivers understand our difficulties and do not charge fees for one or two nights but when we have to wait for weeks, they charge us a minimum of Nu 2000 per day. I feel that the situation might improve if the FCB looks into expanding the area so that we can unload as soon as we reach here. For the auction, having to wait one or two days is understandable,” said another farmer, Sonam Wangdi, who came all the way from Jabana in Paro.
“It has been almost two weeks since I came here. Still, I have not been able to unload the potatoes for auction. We have to now pay extra vehicle charges. Since potatoes are kept loaded in trucks for a long time and because of the rain, all are getting rotten. I have been bringing potatoes here for the last 15 years, and the longest time it took was about four days up until now,” said Dawa Tshering, from Uesu Gewog in Haa.
“As we wait here like this, the potatoes are all rotting. People’s hard work is gone in vain. We depend on vehicles for our livelihood and we have to wait here for weeks. So, we would be grateful if the FCB could extend the auction yard,” said Phub Dorji, who is also from Uesu in Haa.
According to officials from the Food Corporation of Bhutan, the rotting of huge quantities of potatoes like this surprised everyone. Officials said nothing like this happened in the past even when farmers waited for weeks.
FCB’s Regional Director Tshering Dorji says they “are not sure why the potatoes are rotting. I personally went to Gangtey and Phobjikha to check if farmers load the potatoes as soon as they harvest. But that’s not the case, farmers are storing their potatoes to dry and then only bring them here. But here, potatoes start rotting after a few nights. Indian buyers are also complaining that the potatoes they bought from here are easily getting rotten. So, we feel, it might have to do with the quality.”
He said the services they provide to the farmers have not changed. Although they target to unload more than 20 trucks in a day, officials said less than 15 trucks are being unloaded at the auction yard.
“About 35 farmers bring potatoes in one truck. So, after unloading here, the potatoes have to be piled up separately, thereby consuming a lot of space. Also, as they bring potatoes here to unload from the temporary parking, potatoes are usually already rotten. So, people have to open all the sacks and sort them out. This consumes a lot of space thereby affecting the auction process,” said the regional director.
He also said it would be easier if farmers weighed their produce and brought the exact weight which is 52 kilogrammes in a sack.
Meanwhile, farmers fear heavy losses as they lose quintals of potatoes. They are now requesting the FCB to look at extending the area where they can unload and wait for the auction.
The corporation started working to provide more space from today. However, it would still be unable to accommodate all the potatoes that are kept in the temporary parking.
Kinley Dem
Edited by Kipchu
