The pandemic has forced many business owners in the country to either look for alternatives or to shut down their businesses completely. In Paro as well, many vegetable vendors at Bongdey vegetable shed discontinued their business as foreign labourers who make up the majority of their daily customers left the country amid the pandemic.
The vegetable shed is located right next to the highway, about a hundred metres from Bongdey town. The new location has all the basic amenities including a spacious parking space. But it lacks what the vendors need most, customers.
About 20 vendors most of whom have been into the business for a decade used to occupy the shed until recently. Today only six of them continue to sell vegetables at the new shed. Besides the pandemic, the vendors also attribute the shed’s new location to their dwindling business.
They said the current vegetable shed is located away from the town. It was relocated to the current location from the old space near the bridge three years ago.
“We were able to save at least Nu 8000 when we were at the old vegetable shed. The sale, here at the new shed, is not as good. In a day, we get only one or two customers. Earlier when we had Indian labourers we could earn on Sunday,” Damchi Maya Tamang, a vegetable vendor said.
“The sale at the old vegetable shed used to be good. But it was congested and there was not enough space for parking. So, we had to move here. Maybe it is located a bit far from the settlement not, many customers visit our shops.
Moreover, the town saw many vegetable wholesalers recently. That’s why the sale has dropped drastically,” said Tek Maya Mongar, another vegetable vendor.
With the virus mutating and spreading rapidly disrupting the global economy, it will be some time until the vendors here can get back to the business as usual.
Namgay Wangchuk, Paro
Edited by Phub Gyem
