As the paddy harvest season begins in Paro, a combination of machinery shortage and wildlife attack is threatening the annual rice harvest in some parts of the district. The situation is most dire in Doteng Gewog, where wild boars have already trampled and eaten through nearly three acres of ripe paddy.
Sixty-one-year-old Tshering Om from Phooshar chiwog in Doteng Gewog watches helplessly at her paddy fields ravaged by wild boars over the past few weeks.
What was supposed to be her main source of income for the year now lies trampled and eaten.
Tshering Om says electric fencing helped them for the last few years, but it did not last long.
“Later, the gewog administration provided us with materials for a chain-link fence. They advised us to build a raised base and install the fence on top, but since the gewog only supplied cement and we had to manage the rest ourselves, we could not. Now, all we can do is try to block the holes where the boars come through, but they still manage to get in.”
She is not alone. Several farmers in Doteng Gewog have reported similar damage to their paddy fields in recent weeks.
Adding to the problem, they also face a shortage of harvesting machines, which is delaying the harvest.
Farmers attribute this issue to the Farm Machinery Corporation Limited, FMCL, taking sole authority over the combine harvesters, unlike last year, when the gewog managed them directly.
“On one hand, we’re assured that everything is fine and that the government has made substantial investments. Yet, the machines we rely on never arrive when needed. We’ve always believed that the gewog and district administration are meant to represent our voices. But now, even they say they have no control over the machines,” said Tshering Tshering, a paddy grower in Doteng Gewog.
“As villagers, we’re left confused about what led to the gewog no longer having authority over these machines. The challenges we face today can only be addressed through the proper and timely deployment of combine harvesters,” said Choeda Drukda, another rice grower in the gewog.
The FMCL met with the District Agriculture Officer and local leaders yesterday to address the critical shortage of combine harvesters in the district.
The corporation has committed to prioritising deploying combine harvester machines in the next four to seven days to the wildlife-affected and paddy vulnerable to damage due to delayed harvest.
A new committee involving local government, the District Agriculture Officer, and FMCL will also be established to ensure all future distributions are fair, transparent, and strictly need-based, providing a hopeful path forward for farmers.
Karma Samten Wangda, Paro
Edited by Phub Gyem
