In January this year a vegetable shed was constructed in Yoseltse Gewog in Samtse to enable farmers to sell farm produce every weekend. But the shed has been left useless and it is now covered in bushes.
Lack of customers has been cited as one of the reasons why the weekend market failed. “I managed to earn around Nu. 6,000 in the first week. From second week my sale declined and I could not even earn my travel expense. Now I have stop taking my goods to Rangjoling weekend market,” said K.P Chhetri, one of the shopkeepers.
Most vendors said that people prefer buying from across the border. “People prefer to buy from across border because things are cheaper. Majority of us are farmers and people look for cheaper price, so they go to bordering town,” said Namgay Wangmo.
Yoseltse Gup, Ganga Prasad Limbu, however, said that the Gewog would look into every possibility to revive the weekend vegetable market in consultation with the people. The Gup said the Gewog would ensure continuity. “The Gewog will work out and organise meeting with people and come up with new possible ideas to revive our weekend vegetable.”
The shed can house around ten vegetable vendors. It was constructed at the cost of over Nu. 700,000 through Constitutional Development Grant.
