Farmers in the country have been affected by the lack of proper storage and access to markets. Reports of their hard work rotting in the fields will often dominate social media and mainstream media. But this will no longer be the case for farmers in Tsirang. The district administration opened a sales outlet and cold storage facility in Damphu town last month. The facility is outsourced to a youth group in the district.
Branded as Tsirang Natural, a 17-member farmer’s group from Dunglagang Gewog is running the sales outlet. As the name suggests, the outlet has about 50 naturally grown vegetables and farm products. This has eased the marketing issues for farmers.
“Previously maybe due to lack of marketing, there were farm products left out. But today with the help of Tsirang Natural we are trying to take up all the products,” said Amir Rai, the Manager of Tsirang Natural Sales Outlet in Damphu.
According to Dorji Gyeltshen, the Sr. District Agriculture Officer in Tsirang, the outlet only deals with organically grown products, “without applying chemicals, fertilizers and other toxic substances in the farming system.” He says the fresh products are sold at a reasonable rates.
The cold storage facility in the same building has a capacity of storing around 40 tonnes of farm produces. Farmers who are not a member of the group can also use the storage by paying a minimal fee fixed by the group.
The group is also working to supply surplus farm products to nearby districts after meeting the district’s demand. The district produces about four hundred truckloads of mixed vegetables and about three hundred truckloads of fruits annually.
“After collecting vegetables from 12 gewogs, we will segregate here and then sell seven days a week within the dzongkhag and then the surplus will be sold to nearby markets like Thimphu, Paro and Wangdue,” said the Sr. District Agriculture Officer.
“We would be selling our products with the label Tsirang Natural. This would give the product identity and authenticity. The farm products from other places will also have their authenticity,” added Amir Rai.
The outlet also has a coffee shop with locally produced juices and snacks dominating the menu for the visitors.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Sonam
