Residents of Phuentshogling can now look forward to fresh local vegetables and farm produce, brought directly from the villages in Chhukha. Coinciding with the birthday of His Majesty the King, Phuentshogling launched its new Sunday farmer’s market near the Zangdopelri area today. This marks the first major achievement under the Phuentshogling Thromde Enhancement Programme, a national priority initiative aimed at improving and revitalising the town.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade attended the launch of the Sunday Market in the heart of the town.
The market will operate only on Sundays and will not have any permanent structures. Instead, temporary stalls will be set up for the day.
The stalls offer a rich variety of locally produced agricultural and dairy products, including vegetables, fruits, cheese, butter and honey, among others. In line with its eco-friendly vision, vendors use bamboo baskets and other local materials to display their goods, completely avoiding plastic.
The initiative aims to bring a touch of village life into the town by connecting farmers directly with customers.
“The new Sunday market is meant to encourage our farmers by giving them a reliable market space. It will give them a good opportunity to earn a better income. In the long run, the aim is to attract tourists from nearby border areas and boost tourism,” said Cheten Gyeltshen, Head, Regional Agriculture Marketing Division, Phuentshogling.
The market is expected to give farmers a direct place to sell their produce to consumers. This will help ensure fair, affordable and authentic products for residents and cross-border customers.
Farmers said that such initiatives motivate them to work harder and improve their farming.
“Farmers are facing growing market challenges. The situation is not like before. With large integrated markets, imported produce is often sold at lower prices, which affects the sale of our local products. Because of poor market access, many farmers feel discouraged, and some even give up farming. Initiatives like this help motivate farmers and give them hope,” said Tshering Dorji, Farmer Representative, Dungna, Chhukha.
“This initiative will benefit not just a few individuals but the wider community. With such a platform, farmers will no longer have to worry about the market,” said Nima Dorji, Farmer Representative, Samarchen, Darla Gewog.
The Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives officials said the market will provide fresh, locally grown produce throughout the year.
“When we planned this, we did develop a crop calendar looking at which gewog can produce what crop at what time. For example, if a particular vegetable cannot be grown in one gewog at one particular time, we made sure we could get this vegetable from another gewog. So, everything is planned,” said Cheten Gyeltshen, Head, Regional Agriculture Marketing Division, Phuentshogling.
The market is expected to strengthen livelihoods and also create a vibrant community space. More than 12 farmer representatives are participating in the initiative.
Kinley Dem, Phuentshogling
Edited by Sonam Pem
