Growing vegetables particularly during the off-season continues to be profitable for farmers across the country. In Monggar’s Chhali Gewog, farmers earn substantial income by selling vegetables during the off-season. They cultivate crops on a large scale, making it their primary source of income.
For now, some of the farmers have started harvesting beans and potatoes while some are preparing for it.
Farmers have cultivated vegetables including broccoli, chillies and cucumber in their fields.
It will be ready for harvest in a few months’ time.
Farmers said cultivating vegetables during off-season fetches a good price.
Moreover, market has never been a problem for them. They sell their produce at the Gangola market shed along the Monggar-Gyalposhing highway and in Monggar town. Some even supply it to other districts.
Ugyen Tenzin, a farmer said “We cultivate vegetables at this time of the year as we can fetch good price. We can sell the vegetables before anyone and we can sell it easily. We get higher prices compared to other times.”
Similarly, Jigme Thinley said “I cultivated local green chilli and cucumber and earned around two hundred thousand ngultrum annually. We use that income to meet our daily expenses.”
Jigme Wangmo, who is also a farmer said “We plant vegetables during off-season mainly to fetch good price. We can also sell it easily. This time, I have cultivated potatoes and beans, thinking it will fetch better prices.”
The Gewog Agriculture Extension Supervisor said that to further encourage farmers, the government provided seeds on a cost-sharing basis, along with pesticides and training on vegetable cultivation and management.
Out of 300 households in Chhali Gewog, around 100 cultivate vegetables on a commercial scale.
Sonam Darjay, Monggar
Edited by Tshering Zam
