While vegetable production increased amid the pandemic, earnings from vegetables decreased for many farmers. One such group is the Chenathang Farmers’ Group in Kana Gewog under Dagana where they grew different vegetables on about seven acres of land. However, the group could not sell more than half of the farm produce last year. But this has not deterred them from growing more vegetables.
The Chenathang Farmers’ Group has been growing varieties of vegetables like cauliflower, beans, winter chillies and cabbage among others. The group has nine members.
And starting this year, they started growing onions as well. But the group had difficulty selling the farm produce. They could not sell about eighty per cent of the chillies last winter.
“I got about Nu 20,000 from selling cauliflower and got some Nu 18,000 to 19,000 from the sale of chillies. But this amount has been hardly enough for household expenses,” said Chandra Maya Shingar, a member of the group.
“There’s no place to sell here. We have to either take it to the Daga Dzong or Thimphu. And it’s difficult to sell it in Thimphu as farmers from all the districts take their vegetables there,” added Dema Wangmo, another member.
However, the dzongkhag agriculture sector has plans to establish a vegetable shed at Chillithang for the farmers’ convenience. In addition, the sector plans to encourage the group to focus more on growing vegetables like cauliflower, green chillies and beans that are frequently imported.
The agriculture sector has been supporting the members with greenhouses and compost manures.
The group earned about one Nu 1 M from the sale of 23 metric tons of vegetables last year.
Karma Wangdi, Dagana
Edited by Sonam Pem
