Most of the fallow lands in Khatoed and Khamaed Gewogs in Gasa are now put to use. Thanks to the land management initiative in the gewog started in 2017, mechanised farming has become possible now.
Farmlands left unused for decades are now being prepared for farming. Lack of people working in the fields has rendered the fertile lands, useless. The land management work continues even today. Some 40 acres of farmlands on the hilly range has been made more accessible.
“I have around two acres of land but I could not work in this land so far since it was left fallow for a very long time due to lack of manpower. Moreover, nobody has worked since the area is on a slope and it was difficult to work. However, I am happy now that my land is prepared for farming,” said Kinzang Thinley, a farmer in Khatoed Gewog of Gasa.
And Gasa is agrarian once again. Farmlands are now ready for cultivation. Locals may not have to buy imported rice and vegetables now.
Some are already making most of it. Power tillers and other machines can now make its way into the fields for the very first time. Today, people are growing paddy and other vegetables. More and more farmers are now doing what they are supposed to do.
“In the first year, I harvested about 200 kilograms of paddy and in the second year, the harvest doubled. This is my third year cultivating paddy and I am expecting more than 600 kilograms, but I cannot exactly predict the yields just now,” said Tshechu, a farmer from Khatoed Gewog in Gasa.
“Our lands were not cultivated because there was no road and mechanized farming was not possible. But now the government is doing everything for us and its very convenient” So, we are growing potato today and will try other vegetables and fruits hereafter,” added Dechen Pelden, also a farmer from the same gewog.
The project is to improve fertility and improve crop productions.
“We have completed about 95 per cent of land management works in Khatoed Gewog. Likewise, about 60 per cent of land management works have been completed in Khamaed Gewog. Initially, the fertility on the topsoil will disperse and go away once during the initial time of land management works but will gradually improve thereafter. Therefore, some farmers do not show their interest much on the project,” said Karma Tenzin, the Dzongkhag Agriculture Officer in Gasa.
However, awareness is created to convince farmers. Some 40 machines are deployed across the country for land management in this five-year plan to meet the ever-increasing food demand, by making farms more productive and climate-resilient.
Changa Dorji
