It was watermelon first and now onions. The people of Berti village in Trong Gewog of Zhemgang are glad that whatever they are trying their hands at is turning out well.
Just as they reaped a bountiful watermelon harvest not very long ago, the farmers are now gearing up for a plentiful onion harvest.
This is the first time the farmers tired their hands at winter onion cultivation on a commercial scale and it is working out well.
The farmers were apprehensive though when they started growing onions four months ago, but now with the onions growing well, they are already hoping to make good income.
They never thought they would be growing onions on a mass scale, shared some of the farmers.
“Watermelon cultivation was a success and we enjoyed a bumper harvest,” Ugyen Dema from Berti said. “We hope the onion harvest to be equally good.”
“Onions are growing well and I am sure it would fetch us good money,” Karchung from Berti said.
Onion is one of the vegetables or spices that are hardly grown locally. Onions found in the market are imported from India.
Zhemgang dzongkhag agriculture officials said the mass cultivation of onion in Berti was initiated to reduce imports.
It is also a part of efforts to boost local vegetable production and to help diversify income sources of the farmers.
“The aim is to not just cut down imports but also to make Zhemgang self sufficient in onions,” Dzongkhag Agriuclture Officer Phuntsho said.
The onions are expected to be ready for harvest before the paddy transplantation works begin.
