For farmers, agriculture means finding crops that adapt well to the climate and generate good income. In Trashigang’s Muktangkhar chiwog, it is the groundnut that helps sustain their livelihood. Thanks to the favourable weather, the crop has been growing well.
Farmers here have been cultivating groundnut for more than a decade.
The cultivation begins in April and is harvested around this time of the year.
They sell groundnut at Nu 100 per kilogramme, earning between Nu 30,000 and 100,000 annually.
Depo, a farmer said, “From the income we earn from groundnut, we use it to pay for our children’s expenses and to pay taxes. Since the weather here is mostly sunny, we cannot grow potatoes. So, we cultivate groundnut as they resist the heat. We harvest about 30 sacks of groundnut. We get Nu 2,000 per sack, so on average, we earn around Nu 60,000 in a year.”
Sonam Zangmo, another farmer said, “Last year, I harvested around seven to eight sacks of groundnut and earned about Nu 10,000. This year, I have cultivated more, and I am hoping for a good production. The crop looks good this time. Since I cannot cultivate vegetables, I focus more on groundnut. The income helps me buy ration and cover daily expenses.”
Last year, a little more than 30 households cultivated the crop on about 15 acres of land, producing nearly 16 metric tonnes.
According to the Integrated Agriculture and Livestock Census of Bhutan 2025, Trashigang produced more than 76 metric tonnes of groundnut, the highest among the districts.
As long as the weather favours them, farmers here say groundnut will remain their main source of cash income.
Sonam Darjay, Trashigang
Edited by Tshering Zam
