A hailstorm on Tuesday has damaged more than 22 acres of maize, potato and buckwheat field in Shermuhoong Gewog of Monggar. The gewog officials visited the affected areas to assess the extent of damage yesterday.
They said more than Nu 457,000 worth of crops were damaged by the heavy hailstones, which lasted for about 30 minutes, at around 3 pm.
With the maize and potato field of nearly eight households damaged by the hailstones,Thiling village is the worst affected.
“We won’t be able to cultivate potato again but we can cultivate maize. We cultivated more potatoes thinking that we would get some returns. I have experienced such a disaster several times in my life. But this is the worst hailstorm,”Choney Jamtsho from Thiling, said.
“ Right now, it is time to do weeding in the maize field, but now all our maize plants are damaged by the hailstones,” Tshewang Lhamo, also from Thiling, said.
Similarly, the hailstorm damaged crops in Thramo and Muhoong villages. The gewog officials say the report on the extent of the damage will be submitted to the dzongkhag.
In Wangdue Phodrang, heavy hailstones damaged about two and a half acres of potato in Lembee Chiwog of Kazhi Gewog on Tuesday. The gewog and agriculture officials visited the affected areas to assess the damage.
The gewog agriculture extension officer says since only fifty per cent of potatoes sown has sprouted, it will not hamper the growth. The report will be submitted to the dzongkhag administration.
