Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (BAFRA) officials in Gelegphu seized more than 167 kilograms of imported chillies from a vendor at the local vegetable market yesterday.
The import of chillies has been banned since 2016 due to high presence of pesticides.
The officials found the imported chillies from a mini truck that was unloading vegetables at the market during a routine inspection. The banned chilies were hidden with other imported vegetables.
The vendor was slapped a fine of Nu. 263,000. As per BAFRA rules, violators are fined 10 times the actual market rate.
This is the first such incident after sealing of the borders. And it comes at a time when farmers in Sarpang Dzongkhag who have ventured into mass cultivation of chillies are reporting declining demand for local chillies.
Farmers had raised suspicion over the presence of imported chillies in the market following the decline in demand.
Farmers who initially sold local chilies at Nu.300 per kilogram were finding it difficult to sell chillies at Nu.200 per kilogram in recent days.
Sangay Leydra, a farmer with a commercial vegetable farm in Jigmeling, said that he had taken 200 kilograms of chillies for sale to vendors in the market yesterday but couldn’t find a single customer. He is hoping to sell his chillies today.
Recently, BBS also reported declining demand for local chillies from farms in Tsirang with vegetable vendors saying they were getting cheaper chillies from Thimphu.
Karma Wangdi
