With orange yield declining by the year, people of Shingchongri in Dechhenling Gewog under Pema Gatshel switched to cardamom farming. But even this seems to be failing as heavy frost this winter left the plants damaged.
As a result of this stroke of bad luck, leaves of cardamom plants have started wilting when it was just a time to lay hands on the first harvest.
A farmer named Dechen Dorji said: “I was hoping to sell a few kilograms this year. I would have fetched at least Nu 5,000-6,000 per kilogram and earned around 150,000. It’s a big loss. I can’t do anything now.”
Other cardamom growers are also perturbed about the condition of the plants. “I don’t know if the plants will grow again. A few new shoots are sprouting though. The frost turned all our hard work to waste,” said Thinley Zangmo.
The harvest is lost but not their determination to keep growing cardamom. The villagers still see it as a profitable investment.
“I am planning to uproot some plants and take it to another place. After spending a huge sum on its cultivation, I don’t want to discontinue at the moment,” added farmer Dechen Dorji.
“I don’t think the frost will be heavy every time. I want to continue growing cardamom,” said Phurba Thinley.
The frost damaged cardamom plants cover more than an acre of land. Locals say Shingchongri experiences heavier frost in winter as compared to other villages in the gewog.
