Efforts continue to encourage farmers to grow more vegetables. The pandemic came as a stark reminder when many faced a shortage of vegetables in the country. The use of greenhouse is now slowly picking up in many parts of the country. And this time, it is in the highlands of Thangyul and Dorji Goenpa in Trongsa.
Nobody in Thangyul and Dorji Goenpa thought they would be able to grow vegetables due to the cold weather. However, the greenhouse comes as a respite for farmers like 38-year-old Zam in Thangyul. She is the first one in the village to use a greenhouse and harvest about two sacks of chilli last year.
She says, “Although I did not cultivate to sell, I am putting efforts hoping to be self-sufficient at the household level. And the government has provided us with the greenhouse.”
Thangyul remains covered with snow almost throughout the year. And the greenhouse protects the vegetables from cold weather.
“The vegetables grown outside the greenhouse shrinks, darkens and decays due to frost, snow and harsh cold weather here. So the greenhouse is effective,” said Zam.
Like Zam, many other households in Thangyul and Dorji Goenpa received greenhouse to grow vegetables.
“Last year, only two people used the greenhouse. But this time about seven households have received the greenhouse. So such farming practices will immensely benefit the people here in future,” said Tshering Pelzom from Thangyul.
“Since we are near Yotongla, it is difficult to grow anything due to the cold weather. Our ancestors grew only wheat and buckwheat in the past. I tried chilli but it failed due to the harsh weather here. However, with the greenhouse, I could not only grow chilli for personal consumption but I could also sell,” added Wangmo from Dorji Goenpa.
For now, Nubi Gewog has 74 households that use a greenhouse. It might help achieve the goal of food self-sufficiency soon.
Passang, Trongsa
