The Ministry of Agriculture and Forests is aiming for self-sufficiency when it comes to vegetable. To realise the goal, farmers from Tsirang, Wangduephodrang and Punakha are now entering the core marketing areas.
According to the Director General for the Department of Agriculture, Tenzin Dendrup, the initiative to produce vegetables on a large scale by the farmers of Punakha, Wangduephodrang and Tsirang district is timely.
“We have agreed to supply vegetables to Punatshangchhu hydropower project, and we have already decided on prices for the produce.” Tenzin Dendrup said it has been over two weeks since they have been supplying vegetables to the project.
Farmers in Tsirang have so far supplied seven varieties of vegetables, fruits and poultry products to Punatshangchhu Hydropower project. The members of Sonam Yargey Tshogchung in Tsirang, Man Bahadur, said the livelihood of farmers will improve as the number of project workers keep growing.
Tenzin Dendrup says, soon the capital will have an auction yard at Centenary Farmers Market where the buyers and the sellers can come together. “We have been auctioning vegetables at auction yards in Phuentsholing, Samdrup Jongkhar and Sarpang till now.” He said the auction yard in Thimphu will begin from November 5 and the auction will take place once a week. If proven successful, it will take place twice a week.
