Due to human-wildlife conflict and untimely rainfall, farmers in Jomtsang village of Udzorong Gewog in Trashigang are not taking up cultivation of kidney beans or Rajma beans, unlike in previous years. Therefore, the production of the beans has dropped. Kidney bean is one of the main sources of income for the farmers of Jomtsang village.
These days, most of the farmers in Jomtsang village have already harvested kidney beans.
Around 30 households cultivated the beans on 15 acres of land and produced three metric tonnes last year.
In the past years, they produced around five metric tonnes.
Farmers of Jomtsang village have been cultivating kidney beans for commercial purpose since a few years ago. However, people say they are not so interested in cultivating the beans now as human-wildlife conflict and untimely rainfall are affecting production.
“If we get proper fencing then it will benefit us. We cannot harvest all our crops because wild animals such as boars, deer and porcupines damage our crops. This affects the production. Earlier, I used to earn more than Nu 30,000 annually. Last year, I had around 100 kilogrammes of beans,” said Ngawang Choden, a resident.
“Wild animals are destroying the beans. The untimely rainfall is another problem. When there is no rainfall during the flowering season, then it affects production. If there is enough rainfall during the flowering time, beans will have more seeds. I am expecting to fetch around Nu 15,000,” said Choening, another resident.
Udzorong Gewog Agriculture Extension officials say the production has slightly decreased due to untimely rainfall during the plantation and flowering season adding human-wildlife conflict is another problem.
There are no market issues as of now.
In 2022, a kilogramme of kidney beans fetched Nu 65 and farmers could earn Nu 85 last year.
Usually, bean cultivation starts in August and is ready for harvest in December. Jomtsang village has around 67 households.
Udzorong is one of the highest kidney beans producing gewogs in Trashigang with annual production touching 65 metric tonnes.
Sonam Darjay, Trashigang
Edited by Tshering Zam
