Farmers of Nyisho and Kazhi Gewogs in Wangdue Phodrang are enjoying a bountiful chilli harvest this season. Despite not fetching high prices as in the previous year, the farmers are pleased with the good production without facing any marketing challenges. They have been selling it easily in the nearby towns and Thimphu. Chilli remains as one of the cash crops for these communities.
It is the peak chilli harvest season. And farmers of Luetshokha village in Nyisho Gewog are busy picking green chilli in their fields.
It is then packed in sacks and sold either in their nearby markets or Thimphu.
According to the farmers, although they could not fetch good price like last year, they have not faced any market problem so far.
They said that they have been selling it from their doorsteps as some buyers come to their village directly.
Likewise, the people of Kazhi Gewog say the production is promising while the prices are declining gradually due to more supply in the market.
“Both the quantity and quality of our chilli is good this time. Regarding the price, we got Nu 2,000 per sack last year, but this year, we got only around Nu 1,400 to Nu 1,500 per sack during the initial harvest. But now it has dropped to Nu 1,100 to 1,200. Still then, I feel it is fine as we have a bountiful yield and did not face market problem,” said Tsagay, a farmer.
So far, I got up to Nu 40,000 by selling chilli and I am still expecting to earn some more since I have chilli left to be harvested,” said Zangmo, another farmer.
“People are buying our chilli even if we take it to Thimphu. Likewise, some buyers are even coming to our villages to buy it. We are selling it at Nu 1,200 to 1,300 per sack from here itself, and we get around Nu 1,500 to 1,600 if we take it to Thimphu by ourselves,” Ugyen Penjor, who is a farmer.
“I have sold my green chilli in Thimphu. For green chilli, I got Nu 2,000 per sack and I have sold red ones at Nu 3,000 per sack. However, I could not sell more than fifteen sacks of chilli since I am the only one to work at the farm,” said Kumbu Gyem, a farmer from Kazhi Gewog.
However, farmers say it is difficult to sell their farm produce in Thimphu due to a lack of proper place.
Sangay Wangdi, farmer from Nyisho Gewog said “We are seriously facing problem while taking our vegetables to the vegetable market in Thimphu. We are not allowed to sell our vegetables properly. We are made to carry our vegetables up and down. Starting this year, we are asked to sell it from Babesa. There is neither a shed nor a proper place to sell. We have to stay in muddy place when it rains. It is really difficult to sell our local vegetables.”
Farmers of Nyisho and Kazhi Gewogs plant chilli during March and harvest it around this time of the year.
People usually cultivate chilli on at least fifty decimals of land to up to more than two acres.
Changa Dorji, Wangdue Phodrang
Edited by Tshering Zam
