In order to ensure quality farm mechanisation to villagers a farm machinery service centre was launched in Phuntshothang Gewog under Samdrupcholing Dungkhag in Samdrup Jongkhar. The farm machinery aims at increasing utilisation of fallow land, income generation through crop intensification, and commercialisation of agriculture.
At the launch, the Chief Representative of JICA Bhutan Office, Yumiko Asakuma, said that youth could be employed to operate farm machinery making agriculture work productive and attractive. “Agriculture must and will be the main economic activity for the majority of the Bhutanese people for a long time. Therefore, we must join together to make agriculture more productive and attractive, especially for the younger and educated generation, which the farm mechanism is one solution.”
With the establishment of machinery centre farmers can now hire machinery. The centre will also deal in spare parts. “Before villagers had to travel till Khangma in Trashingang to get spare parts. Now, farmers can easily get it from the centre,” said Sonam Phuntsho, Senior Extension Officer, adding that the centre would not only benefit the Gewog but also benefit villagers of Daifam and Langchenphu.
Meanwhile, farmers welcomed the launch of the centre. “For one acre it takes 4 to 5 days to plough but with the machine it takes only a day,” said Yonten, Martshala Gup.
“In the past we had to till the land using oxen, but now we use machine and it has made our work much easier,” said Yezor Tenzin, a Farmer.
The Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongda, Goling Tshering, said that the benefit of the centre would depend on how the villagers would co-operate with agriculture officials. “The benefit of this machine totally lies in your thought and in your hand. You have to co-operate with agriculture and machine operators. If not, it will be difficult to work. Even if machine is placed here and if you can’t use it properly it will be of no use,” reminded the Dzongda.
The centre was constructed at a cost of around Nu.1.5 million.
