In most places in Bhutan, it is the lack of irrigation water or the struggle against wild animals that makes farming challenging. However, for the people of the Khebishing and Bahkaphai village of Balam Gewog in Monggar, it has been the stones on the farm that are making farming difficult. To alleviate this challenge, the Balam Gewog Administration has undertaken land management on more than 60 acres of farmland.
The farmlands in Bahkaphai village were filled with stones which made farmers cultivate crops only for self-consumption.
After the Monggar District Administration provided an excavator, the gewog administration started land management in January, last year. The gewog office used the gewog budget to refuel the excavator.
The removal of stones from the fields in Bahkaphai is almost completed.
In Khebishing, the land management works are complete.
The farmers say that land management has made farming easier. They now hope to increase their production and sell their farm produce, making more income.
Sangay Choden, a farmer from Khebishing said, “In the past, it was not easy to work on the farm. We were unable to plough the field with oxen. The stones made it difficult. Now it is easier for the oxen as well. It just takes a few hours to plough the field.”
“Let alone oxen, we can now use power tillers. In the past, we had to look for grass to feed the oxen. Now, with power tillers, we don’t have to do other chores and fields can be ploughed in a few hours,” said Sherub, another farmer from Khebishing.
Rinzin Dema, a farmer in Bahkaphai said, “After removing the stones, I was able to grow more potatoes.”
Balam Gup Tshewang Dorji said, “If we clear the stones, it will increase the size of the usable farmland. They can also use animals and power tillers to work. I can see opportunities for the farmers to increase income.”
Moreover, upon the gewog administration’s initiative, the farmers are building walls using the excavated stones around the fields to protect the crops from wild animals.
Sangay Choden said, “We used the stones to build walls to fence our field and it helped us keep the porcupines away from the crops.”
Sangay Peldon, a farmer in Khebishing said, “In the past, we had to guard our crops. Now, the excavator removed the stones and we used them to build walls. We don’t have to guard the crops anymore.”
Rinzin Dema added, “The land management has helped us a lot. Farming got easier. Moreover, the stones can be used for building a fence and can be also used for house construction.”
The land management works were carried out on farmlands of more than 70 households.
According to the Balam Gup, the gewog office started the works first in fields that are currently cultivated. However, the office plans to carry out land management works in other farmlands as well. The gewog office says the Commercial Agriculture and Resilient Livelihoods Enhancement Programme or CARLEP will provide financial support for land management in Doongmanma-Selkhar Chiwog. There are 245 households in the gewog.
Karma Wangdi
Edited by Sangay Chezom
