Much to the excitement of residents and vegetable vendors, a three-storey market shed was inaugurated in Monggar on Monday. With this, they said that they would no more have to brave rain and heat. About 100 vegetable vendors will be accommodated in the new shed.
The ground floor will be used to sell dairy products and will also be used as store house. The middle floor will house daily vegetable vendors. The top floor will be exclusively for the farmers who sell local vegetables.
A regular vendor, Thinley Wangmo, said she would not longer have to keep watch on cattle attacking her produce at night.
“I am happy for the vendors for they don’t have to endure all kinds of weather. I am also happy that it will be cleaner and easier to walk into the market place to buy vegetables and other produce,” said Chimi Wangmo, a local resident.
Inaugurating the shed, the Agriculture Minister, Dr. Pema Gyamtsho said the vendors should concentrate more on selling organic vegetables and reduce the import of vegetables annually.
Coinciding with the inauguration on Monday, farmers of Drepong, Chali and Monggar Geogs exhibited a wide range of farm produce. Our reporter, Sonam Choden, said that some of the unique displays were the Shetaki mushroom, cardamom and varieties of assorted vegetables. Prizes were also awarded to encourage farmers to produce organic vegetables at a mass level.
The market shed was constructed at a cost of Nu. 7.4 million.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Minister also inaugurated the new Regional Livestock Development Centre Office at Khangma in Trashigang.
The Centre will benefit the people of six eastern Dzongkhags in availing themselves of the services like livestock vaccination, disease control, feed and fodder, breeding and production and laboratory diagnosis. It was constructed at a cost of Nu. 10 million, funded by the Government of India.
