Easy access to market is a farfetched dream for farmers in some remote pockets of the country. But for 46-year-old Botpa, a farmer in Buna in Trashigang, finding market is least of her concerns.
This is because she has a steady flow of customers coming to her place to buy vegetables from her.
Boarding schools located nearby buy a huge chunk of the vegetables, such as cabbage, potato, chilies and onions, which the mother of five grows.
She receives orders from others as well. “Some of my customers are from Gongthong, and recently, I received orders from Thimphu as well,’ she said.
There’s a good reason why people in the locality swarm to Botpa’s place. The vegetables are not only fresh but are also sold at comparatively cheaper prices.
For instance, a kilogram of cabbage costs only Nu 15, which is half the market price.
Botpa, who earlier used to weave clothes for living, later decided to grow vegetables for sale. “In winter, there’s nothing much to do. Weaving is no longer a lucrative business, so I decided to take up vegetable cultivation instead,” she said.
It’s a decision she doesn’t regret.
