Although lockdown has been relaxed in the zones that did not report any community transmission, with travel restrictions, concerns are still high among farmers, especially for an undisturbed market for their farm produces. A women farmers’ group of Goling under Nangkhor Gewog in Zhemgang is one of them.
It is the harvest season of winter vegetables on a farm owned by a group of five women. The members are harvesting cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli, but they are skeptical about access to the market. The group is of the view that it will benefit them more if vendors directly collect vegetables from their place.
”We have grown enough vegetables this time but due to travel restriction, we are quite doubtful about the market,” said Kinley Namgyel, one of the members. Another member, Yeshi Yangdon, said that they are worried about not being able to sell their vegetables as expected. According to them, it will be more beneficial if vendors directly buy from them at this time.
Going by the dzongkhag agriculture officials, marketing agricultural products does not seem to be a problem as they facilitate all possible transportation in collaboration with the dzongkhag COVID-19 Taskforce. Since the onset of the vegetable harvest season, officials, said they haven’t encountered any problems so far.
Meanwhile, the group, with the help of a local vendor of the Kheng-rig-Namsum cooperative, managed to transport about 2000 kilograms of mixed vegetables to Thimphu, last Sunday.
Apart from the commercial winter vegetable groups, the dzongkhag has also recorded an increasing number of individuals who ventured into commercial vegetable farming, this time. The dzongkhag expects to produce about three truckloads of mixed vegetables this year.
Pema Samdrup
