The Economic Contingency Plan (ECP) delivery unit under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) highlighted the key initiatives the team is going to take to enhance the agriculture production in the country. During a press briefing today, the taskforce shared its plan of boosting the agriculture productivity to enhance self-sufficiency amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the taskforce, Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering had met with all the Dzongdags and requested the farmers to increase productions.
“Prime Minister himself interacted with all the 20 Dzongdags and then tried to identify and plead with the farmers to produce more because this is the situation right now. The Prime Minister asked the farmers on what additional amount of agriculture or livestock production they can produce. And what assistance they require from the government to increase the productions,” shared Chencho, a member of the ECP delivery unit.
The team will also be looking at constructing farm roads in all the gewogs to improve the marketing and transport of agricultural goods and services.
“One important component of market access is also on farm road construction. The government has prioritised constructing farm roads to make all-weather pliable. Initially, to begin with, one farm road per gewog. Work will immediately start,” he said.
Meanwhile, the team is receiving the status and situation of the agriculture activities from all the dzongkhags. This is to create a bridge between the government and the farmers on input supply and rendering necessary help.
“So as we speak, we are receiving information from the dzongkhags and we are collecting this detailed information from all the dzongkhags. Based on that the government’s job is to support them through input supply which can be done by dzongkhag administration, gewog administration and regional agriculture offices and also Ministry of Agriculture,” he added.
The team will also look to support producers from different sectors such as the cooperatives and large commercial sectors such as the Farm Machinery Corporation Limited.
He said the short term plan targetted at farmers, farmers’ groups, cooperatives and State-Owned Enterprises will bear fruit immediately within the next 9-14 months.
As for marketing, the task force has identified a team comprising of members from the department of agriculture, department of livestock, from the Centenary Farmer’s Market and Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority. In the next 3 months, a clear format of marketing will also be established by the team.
Agriculture is one of the immediately hit sectors along with tourism and construction industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tshering Dendup
