In a remarkable initiative, farmers of Lunana Gewog in Gasa are expected to receive improved greenhouses to enhance the production of vegetables in their high-altitude region. The district administration aims to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the improvised structures in areas with challenging climatic conditions. If proven successful, the low-cost greenhouses currently in use will be replaced by these more durable and convenient alternatives.
To facilitate the change, the government has arranged the transportation of raw materials for the improvised greenhouse via the country’s only helicopter. The chopper flew from Punakha to Lunana over a span of two days.
The helicopter can carry up to 300 kilograms of materials at a time, with each trip taking almost 25 minutes. The government has allocated more than Nu 1.5 M for transportation costs alone.
According to the Gewog Agriculture Extension Supervisor, Lunana Gewog has benefitted from low-cost greenhouses, which have allowed the households to cultivate vegetables for their consumption.
However, the farmers have faced challenges in maintaining these structures due to a lack of easily accessible wood near their villages. Some villages are situated above the tree line, requiring a three-day journey to procure wooden logs from nearby forests.
“Two chiwogs in Lunana are located in areas that lack trees, making it challenging to construct low-cost greenhouses that rely on wooden materials. So, this is the reason for issuing improvised greenhouses. Therefore, the introduction of improvised greenhouses addresses this issue. The advantage of the improvised greenhouse is its greater durability compared to the low-cost version, which typically lasts only around three years. The improvised greenhouse, on the other hand, can last up to ten years,” said Yonten Phuntsho, the agriculture extension supervisor of Lunana Gewog.
Under the cost-sharing basis, the government bears 80 per cent of the expenses, while farmers contribute the remaining amount.
Each set of improvised greenhouses costs over Nu 42,000. The low-cost greenhouses were previously provided free of charge since 2017. Agriculture extension officials will provide necessary technical support to farmers during the launch of these greenhouses.
“After installing the greenhouse, the residents of Lunana started eating fresh vegetables for nearly six months. Previously, they could only have them for three months when they could grow vegetables outside during the summer. Now, they can enjoy fresh vegetables continuously for an additional three months. Overall, they can now have access to fresh vegetables for at least six months, unlike before,” added Yonten Phuntsho.
Fifteen improvised greenhouses will be issued on a trial basis during the initial phase. The further distribution will depend on the feasibility study’s results.
“To protect the structures from strong winds and snow during the winter, the people of Lunana will be advised to remove both the plastic coverings and fabricated poles as they typically migrate to lower regions during that time,” further added Yonten Phuntsho.
Situated at an elevation of 3,400 meters, Lunana consists of over 190 households.
The government’s aim in introducing these improvised greenhouses is to provide an adequate supply of nutrient-rich vegetables to the people of Lunana while diversifying the range of vegetable products in the gewog.
If the trial program proves successful, officials plan to encourage all farmers to adopt the improvised structures in the future.
Changa Dorji, Punakha
Edited by Sonam Pem
