Demand for chilli from Sarpang has increased, and production is also abundant. Nearly 11 acres under the Norbugang Vegetable Farmers’ Group are covered with green chillies ready for harvest. With confirmed bulk orders and steady market prices, growers say they are optimistic about a profitable harvest this season.
A wide stretch of farmland under the Norbugang Vegetable Farmers’ Group is filled with neat rows of green chilli plants. The fields are vibrant, with chillies hanging low, ready for picking.
Farmers move through the rows, carefully plucking fresh green chillies and filling their buckets. They sort and prepare the produce for the market.
Among them is Aitey Maya Tamang, who spends long hours harvesting chillies one by one. Her expression reflects relief and satisfaction as this season’s harvest looks promising.
She says, “The market is good this time compared to the previous years. We used to get only limited orders in the past, but this time it is different.”
The group has secured an order of 2.5 metric tonnes from Bhutan Agro Industries Limited in Lingmethang, Monggar, at Nu 100 per kilogramme.
Last year, the group supplied around 2 metric tonnes to the company.
“When we get such support and demand for our produce, we feel very motivated to work even harder. Moreover, it is also a very good opportunity for us and the group to earn a good income,” says Mon Kumar Rai, a member of the vegetable group.
Harvesting continues beyond the fields, as families sort, weigh, and pack chillies at home before loading them onto trucks. The produce is then transported to Lingmethang for processing into pickles.
The group also supplies fresh chillies to the Gelephu market, where prices range between Nu 80 and Nu 90 per kilogramme. Last year, the group earned around Nu 1.6 M.
What started in 2020 with just six members working on five acres has now grown into a 19-member farmers’ group.
Today, while chillies dominate the fields, the group is also growing tomatoes, beans, and cabbage to diversify income.
As trucks loaded with fresh harvest leave Norboogang, they carry more than produce. They carry the story of a growing farmers’ collective turning opportunity into prosperity.
Karma Wangdi & Passang Dorji, Gelephu
