The recent unprecedented hailstorm in Tsirang damaged crops and structures belonging to over 1,200 households. The heavy hailstorm hit eight gewogs of the district. The Tsirang District Administration forwarded the damage report to the Prime Minister for necessary interventions and support.
According to the damage report compiled by the Tsirang District Administration, the hailstorm has affected farmers of eight gewogs of Kilkhorthang, Gosarling, Tsholingkhar, Rangthangling, Semjong, Dunglagang, Tsirang Toed, and Pungtenchhu.
Of the eight gewogs, Kilkhorthang, Dunglagang and Semjong were the worst hit.
The hailstorm has reportedly damaged vegetables on 2,294 acres of land and 58,638 fruit trees amounting to a monetary loss of around Nu 55 M.
According to the damage report, mandarin trees lost up to 70 per cent of flowers to the hailstone. The report mentioned the hailstorm has also tattered 80 per cent of cardamom leaves and mango flowers. 90 per cent of mango fruits also fell.
Similarly, 90 per cent of flowers, leaves, and fruits of avocado, litchi, kiwi, guava, lime, apples, lemon, pears, and lily flowers were also damaged. The report further mentioned that the disaster damaged 80 per cent of the flowers and fruits of peach and plum trees.
In terms of cereal crops and vegetables, 30 per cent of maize seedlings and maize plants were damaged. Buckwheat, barley, and wheat suffered up to 90 per cent damage.
Vegetables such as pole beans, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbages, onion, tomatoes, broccoli, cucumber, and peas and spices including chilli and fireball pepper which are all in the flowering stage sustained defoliation and damage up to 90 per cent.
Meanwhile, the report found that the destruction of structures was minimal and minor. The report mentioned that some houses suffered minor damages. A few houses were insured and other house owners with minor damages agreed to repair the damages on their own.
Along with the damage report, the district administration also came up with a few recommendations.
The recommendations include monitoring the affected farms and providing technical support in managing crops to prevent secondary infection.
The report also recommended exploring options to help farmers carry out second cropping wherever feasible to minimise the impacts of the disaster on their livelihood.
Considering the severity of the damages, it is recommended that some form of compensation be given to the affected farmers to secure their livelihoods.
In addition, it is recommended that farmers be given support in terms of seeds and seedlings to assist and safeguard their interest in crop cultivation in the next season.
The vegetable seeds including hybrid seeds of tomato, carrot, brinjal, beans, radish, local spinach, and bitter gourd along with chilli seeds, will be distributed to the affected farmers to be sown immediately on more than 200 acres of vegetable farms.
Meanwhile, in the absence of crop insurance policy in the country, the affected farmers are requesting the government and relevant agencies to support them through compensations to recover their losses.
“Currently, there is no insurance scheme for fruits like mandarin, maize, and vegetables. We are totally at a loss during such disasters. Therefore, we would be grateful if the government could help us in the form of some grants,” said Mon Bdr. Dhahal, a mandarin grower of Gosarling Gewog.
“Farmers of Tsirang are totally at a loss this year. So, we will be benefitted if the government can help. The people of Tsirang have huge hopes that the government will help us minimise our losses,” said Budhi Man Pradhan, a vegetable grower at Dunglagang Gewog.
“People of Sa-Tsangma chiwog have been depending on vegetables for our livelihoods. Apart from vegetables, the hailstorm has damaged cardamom plants and other crops. We are worried about how we will be able to sustain ourselves hereafter,” said Suk Man Lama, Sa-Tsangma Tshogpa, Kilkhorthang Gewog.
BBS learnt that the Department of Agriculture has already written to the National Seed Centre in Paro on 22nd April asking the centre to arrange eight different vegetable seeds, local maize seed, and buckwheat seeds amounting to over Nu 3 M to be supplied for the affected farmers in the district.
An official from the Tsirang District Administration said the assorted vegetable seeds along with maize and buckwheat seeds will arrive in the coming days.
