The business community in Rangjung under Trashigang has put up a petition against the establishment of a farm shop in Rangjung. The members say they were not consulted when the vegetable market shed in Rangjung town, which has been lying idle for many years, was converted into a farm shop.
A shopkeeper in Rangjung, Ugyen Phuntsho said when the vegetable shed was being renovated initially; they thought it would help them. “Later, we came to know it will house a farm shop. The farm shop is equally important for the farmers but they could have built or rented another house to run the farm shop.”
The farm shop in Rangjung has been established to cater to eight northern gewogs in the Trashigang.
As Rangjung is centrally located, the dzongkhag and the Regional Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives Office in Monggar, decided to establish the shop in Rangjung. The vegetable market shed was used to save cost and make it more useful.
“Since it left idle we did not consult them. It was previously constructed by the agriculture sector. We decided that it can be used as a farm shop.
It will serve the same function but farmers can avail more services from there,” said Trashigang’s Dzongkhag Agriculture Officer, D.K Bhandari.
Since farm shops are operated by Food Corporation of Bhutan and will also retail essential food items, the business community is worried of its impact on their business. Rangjung town already has a FCB outlet and the opening of the farm shop is seen as the second outlet.
“Farm shop is just a name to cover up since every essential item like milk powder, sugar, and soaps are available in farm shop,” said a shopkeeper in Rangjung, Karma Sonam Tashi.
Another Shopkeeper, Ugyen Phuntsho said they will have to charge higher price for goods as compared to FCB, as they have to pay business tax.
The farm shop, according to the District Agriculture Officer was established for the benefit of the farmers rather than to compete with the shopkeepers. Besides making the farm inputs like seeds and fertilizers available, it will give guaranteed market to farmers for their local produce.
D.K Bhandari said FCB will be selling only those items, which has been submitted by the public. “Not everything that the shopkeepers are selling will be sold in the farm shop.” He said only the items that have been listed and submitted by the gewog administration will be sold in the farm shop.
The Dzongkhag administration has currently put the petition on hold and has asked the business community to study its real impact first.
Meanwhile, works are underway to establish another five farm shops in other parts of Trashigang Dzongkhag.
