The COVID pandemic has come as a blessing for farmers in the country. With the international borders sealed, farmers have been able to sell their produce with ease without having to compete with imported products. However, the story is different for the farmers of Goling village in Zhemgang.
Ugyen Penjor is one of the many farmers in Goling village who grew onions on a large scale last year. The yield has been promising as well. Drawing lessons from last year’s onion shortage amid the pandemic, he said all farmers in the village focused on growing onions. However, finding a market has now become a challenge.
“The yield was good and the farmers in our village produced four tons of onions from seven to eight acres of land. But it’s difficult to sell them,” said Ugyen.
The farmers say that Gelegphu is their main market. However, since the place is a high-risk area, it is difficult to take the produce there. The farmers were able to sell two tons which is around a bolero load of onions within Zhemgang and in Thimphu. But the same quantity still remains in the village and is getting damaged. The farmers are now trying to dry the onions through curing but that too isn’t going well.
“The onions have started rotting. We are losing interest. If we can get some training and enough space for curing the onions, it will keep everyone encouraged,” says Ugyen.
“It is disheartening when we see the onions rotting because we worked hard. It is a waste of our energy and the seeds the agriculture official gave us,” said Cheki Dorji, who also grows onions in Goling.
The district agriculture officials said the curing process isn’t working since the farmers harvested the onions before they matured properly. Meanwhile, they are trying to market the onions to schools in the district.
Pema Samdrup, Zhemgang
