Owing to irrigation water shortage and untimely rainfall, paddy yield in some gewogs in Punakha has declined this year. Local leaders from four gewogs say that paddy yield has dropped compared to last year. In some gewogs, a few farmers have left their paddy fields fallow.
Harvesting paddy has come to an end in Punakha. However, in some places, the yield is comparatively low compared to the previous years. This according to farmers is due to inadequate rainfall this year and due to water shortage issues. They added that this has affected their livelihood.
These days, people of Dochhukha village in Guma Gewog can be seen threshing paddy.
In Dochhukha_Dzomlingthang_Ritsa Chiwog, there are more than 150 acres of wetland.
People here depend primarily on agriculture for sustenance.
“We sell rice to meet the expenses to send our children to school and to conduct annual ritual. Now, with the decline in the yield and some fields being left fallow, I am worried about how I will be able to conduct the annual ritual,” said Namgay Om, a resident.
“There was no rainfall for some months and due to the water shortage, we could not transplant paddy on time. Around 20 acres of land were left fallow. Moreover, the paddies were not ready for harvest during the harvesting season,” said Pem, another resident.
“The yield is low this year due to water shortage. Our yield was better in the previous year,” said Tawchung, who is also from Dochukha village.
“More than 20 acres of land has been left fallow here because we were unable to transplant paddy this year. Even I left my land fallow,” said Kencho Wangdi, Guma Mangmi.
Guma Gewog is not alone. BBS contacted all the Gups of Punakha. The Talo, Chhubu, and Goenshari Gups said the situation is the same in their gewog.
Meanwhile, the Gups of Dzomi, Toebisa, Barp, and Toewang Gewogs said the yield in some of the chiwogs in their gewog has also declined.
According to the District Agriculture Office, they have yet to collect the yearly data this year.
Officials said going by the data collected so far, the yield has improved compared to last year.
According to the National Statistics Bureau’s Annual Dzongkhag Statistics 2023, the paddy yield of Punakha has increased from more than 6,500 tonnes in 2021 to over 8,000 tonnes, last year.
Tashi Yangden, Punakha
Edited by Tshering Zam
