The season of green chillies usually comes to an end by this time of the year in most parts of Wangdue Phodrang except for three gewogs. Farmers of Lengbi in Kazhi Gewog take their chilli harvest of the second growing season to the market around this time every year to fetch better prices. But much to their disappointment, they are unable to fetch the expected price this season and haven’t taken the harvest to market yet. The farmers in the chiwog are now worried that the spice will rot as they wait in anticipation of a better price.
Sacks of green chillies are piled up in almost every household in Lengbi. Some farmers have kept the harvest in the open space outside their homes.
Some of these sacks of chilli have been stored for a few days while some have just been harvested.
The farmers harvest the spice around this time to avoid damage by frost.
However, chilli growers here are unable to take their harvest directly to the market as they cannot fetch the expected price.
They cultivate the spice twice a year and it is the harvest of their second growing season.
Farmers usually sell the spice in Wangdue Phodrang, Punakha and Thimphu.
“The chilli harvest has been lying inside the house for three days and I am worried it will rot. We harvested thinking that we would get customers. But the customers are not willing to give us the price we expect. I still have around 15 to 16 sacks of chilli to be harvested from the field,” said Namgay, a farmer.
“I normally cultivate chilli on around one and a half acres of land every time. So, we fetch around Nu 250,000 when the price is good in the market. But we couldn’t earn even Nu 100,000 last year. And I think it will be the same this year too as the price is low,” said Tshering Wangchuk, another farmer.
“I sold seven sacks of chilli so far and could fetch Nu 1350 per sack. We fetched good price till last year as we harvest it during the off-season. We used to fetch around Nu 2000 per sack,” said Tshering Yangden, who is also a farmer from Lengbi.
Farmers of Phangyul and Dangchhu Gewog are facing a similar problem. However, they are selling the spice at rates below their expected range. Phangyul Mangmi says the price has dropped after the ban on imported chillies was lifted.
Locals say it would be convenient for the farmers to sell their produce if concerned authorities could facilitate the market. Three gewogs in Wangdue Phodrang produce green chilli at this time of the year.
“For instance, it would be convenient for the farmers to work if the government could fix the price for a year. This will help farmers foresee their annual income from the crop which will help them focus and work accordingly. This will also let the vegetable vendors know the price at the source and plan accordingly. Ultimately, it will make things convenient for all parties including sellers, vendors, and customers,” said Phub Dorji, the Lengbi Chiwog Tshogpa.
However, the problem is expected to be solved soon. The District Administration is working to ease access to the market. According to a district official, they have negotiated with vegetable vendors in Thimphu to buy the spice from the chilli growers of the three gewogs at a reasonable price for both parties.
The official also says farmers are not making use of the cold storage facilities despite adequate sensitization and awareness.
Sixty households in Lengbi chiwog cultivate chilli as a main source of income. They produce around fifty thousand kilograms of green chilli every year.
Changa Dorji, Wangdue Phodrang
Edited by Phub Gyem
