In Bumthang’s Domkhar Chiwog, the community is facing persistent challenges in potato cultivation which is their primary economic activity. Though there are no official reports of decline in production in other parts of the district, the issue has become quite prominent in Domkhar Chiwog. In recent years, residents have experienced a noticeable decline in both the quality and quantity of their potato harvest.
Villagers recall a time, four or five years ago, when individual households could produce enough potatoes to fill up a truck. Today, they struggle to match the potato production levels of the past.
“Previously, if we cultivate potatoes with five sacks of seeds, the production would come around a truck load of DCM. Nowadays, some of us also cultivate 30 to 40 sacks of seeds, yet we can manage to produce only a truckload or less. This has been going on for three years now. The sizes of the potatoes are also decreasing and the quality has also declined,” said Tshering Samdrup, a farmer.
The community suspects that the increased use of chemical fertilisers may be the cause of the low potato yield in recent years.
“Cow dung is the most beneficial to the soil. However, for potatoes, in my opinion, chemical fertiliser produces more potatoes. I use cow dung because chemical fertilisers are expensive. However, I think the potato production in the village is decreasing because people use a lot of chemical fertilisers,” said Chengmo, a farmer.
“I remember the quality of the soil being better when I was a child. I get a feeling that quality of the soil has become poorer now. I think this is why the production of potatoes in the village is decreasing,” said Tshering Samdrup.
The district agriculture sector in Bumthang, while not having received official reports on the potato production issues in Domkhar, acknowledges potential factors such as the excessive use of chemical fertilisers causing the decline in production. The office also says poor quality of seeds could also be leading to the drop in yield.
However, the office has initiated the development of integrated potato grading, sorting, and packing in Bumthang to assist farmers in enhancing both production and sales.
The villagers also express hope in the promises political parties made during their campaign run recently.
“In the 4th National Assembly Elections, the two political parties pledged to make potato cultivation convenient for us and enable us to get good prices for potato cultivation. We are hopeful that the government will help us ease our current difficulty related to potato cultivation,” said Pema Gyelthsen, Domkhar Tshogpa.
There are around 70 households in Domkhar Chiwog, out of which 40 of them cultivate potato.
Karma Samten Wangda
Edited by Kipchu
