Several measures are being implemented to help farmers taking potato harvest to the FCBL auction yard in Phuentshogling. Aside from building temporary sheds, a team from the agriculture department is in Phuentshogling to investigate the cause of rotting.
Last week, the auction yard saw huge quantities of potatoes rotting as farmers waited to get their potatoes auctioned.
Recently, relevant stakeholders including the FCBL, officials from the agriculture department, and the Prime Minister’s Office conducted a stakeholder meeting to come up with immediate measures.
The officials also consulted the farmers whereby the farmers expressed the need for additional sheds to unload potatoes as they wait to auction the tuber.
Earlier, farmers have said that one of the reasons for rotting is the long waiting days when the potatoes are left loaded in the trucks.
The construction of the sheds has begun in the temporary truck parking area near the Amo Chhu.
FCBL’s Regional Director, Tshering Dorji says, “during the meeting, we also looked at how to expedite the process of selling potatoes for the benefit of farmers. So, we also looked at exporting the potatoes by private individuals. I think this is another reason why there aren’t many queues of vehicles waiting for auction.”
With these immediate measures underway, the number of trucks waiting to auction the potatoes has also reduced to just over twenty compared to more than fifty trucks a few weeks ago.
Meanwhile, agriculture officials are also trying to find out the reasons behind the rotting of the potatoes.
While some people including the farmers suspect that it is the new potato variety ‘Yusi Maap’ that is rotting, officials said other tuber varieties are also rotting.
Some also suspect the use of a particular chemical fertilizer to be one of the causes of rotting. But nothing could be ascertained as potatoes grown by farmers who have not used the particular fertilizer were also seen rotting.
Therefore, the officials said the reason can be known only after the agriculture officials come up with their findings.
Kinley Dem, Phuentshogling
Edited by Phub Gyem
