Vegetable wholesalers in Thimphu are finding it difficult to find a place to do business. They say they have been in this state since their old marketplace at the Centenary Farmers’ Market was closed due to the ongoing renovation works. Meanwhile, the authorities have a different story to tell.
It’s Thursday morning and a group of vegetable wholesalers have gathered at the car park near the Kaja Throm. But in just a few moments, the CFM and Thromde authorities along with the police come along and chase them away. This has become an everyday affair.
The reluctant wholesalers say they have been left without a proper place to do business since July when renovation works began at the CFM. Previously, the wholesalers would bring their vegetables to the enclosed car park on the side of the CFM.
In October, the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives allocated an interim space at Babesa. But the wholesalers say this arrangement is inconvenient.
“Once the renovation works started, we had no space to sell. They sent us to Babesa but there aren’t any customers there and the vegetables start to rot after some time,” said Gyeltshen.
“It wasn’t much of a problem when our old place closed because it was convenient to do business at the car park near the Kaja Throm. But at Babesa we cannot sell anything because there are no buyers,” said another vegetable wholesaler, Tshendra Dorji.
“Wholesale of vegetables needs to be done near the vegetable market. In our case, it is different. We are at Babesa and the market is up there,” said Chimi Lhaden.
Meanwhile, the CFM management says the wholesalers have also been given spaces on the CFM ground floor for free. This was after the wholesalers started doing business at the car park near Kaja Throm claiming there are no customers in Babesa. Initially, while they were allowed to carry on at the parking, the CFM manager says this started creating traffic problems.
Other vegetable vendors also started to complain that it affected their business. Some middlemen had started selling vegetables from the car park after purchasing them from the wholesalers.
Kani Dhendup, who works as the Security at the CFM says “there are many empty stalls here and for them it is free. We try to bring them inside if we see them selling at parking but after a few hours they leave.”
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department says that the wholesalers can do business only at the designated places.
As for the vegetable wholesalers, they say they will write an appeal letter to the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives asking for permission to carry on at the car park.
Ngawang Tenzin
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
