The Agriculture and Livestock Ministry has distributed assorted vegetable seeds and maize and buckwheat seeds worth over Nu 3 M to the hailstorm-affected farmers in Tsirang. The heavy hailstorm on the 10th of this month affected vegetables and cereals in more than 290 acres of farmland belonging to 1,265 households in eight gewogs of Tsirang. The storm also damaged more than 58,000 fruit trees in the district.
Tsirang District Agriculture Sector handed over more than 36,000 packets of assorted vegetable seeds and over 6,060 kilograms of maize and buckwheat seeds to the respective gewog agriculture extension supervisors this afternoon. The Agriculture and Livestock Ministry and the Tsirang District Administration undertook the seed handing-taking on Saturday. The agriculture extension supervisors will distribute to the affected farmers in the coming days.
In a meeting with the Gups of the affected gewogs which officials of the Tsirang District Administration and regional offices in the district attended, the Agriculture and Livestock Minister expressed the ministry’s concerns to the farmers who lost their vegetables, cereals, and fruit trees to the hailstorm. Tsirang is one of the major vegetables and fruits producing districts in the country.
“Tsirang is very important for the country and particularly for the agriculture and livestock ministry. This is because Tsirang produces 8-10 per cent of the country’s vegetable productions. If Tsirang district develops well, it indicates the ministry’s achievement,” said Younten Phuntsho, the Agriculture and Livestock Minister.
However, Lyonpo said, without any policy or system in place at the moment, there is no clarity on how to support farmers during such disasters. Lyonpo added that the ministry distributes the seeds only as a gesture of ‘relief measure’ and not as compensation.
“I feel that it would be difficult for the ministry to provide similar support to all farmers across the country in the future in such disasters without a policy or a system in place. However, we are in the process of coming up with an insurance scheme for crops and livestock. We are expecting to provide a proper support to our farmers in such disasters once the insurance scheme is finalised.”
The District Agriculture Officer said farmers can sow the vegetable seeds immediately for economic recovery. The District Administration forwarded the crop damage report to the Prime Minister on the 16th of this month for necessary support and intervention.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Phub Gyem
