The National Council yesterday discussed strategies to streamline marketing procedures to help farmers sell their produce at the auction yards without much hassle.
Potato is one of the main cash crops for farmers in Bhutan. But, to sell them at auction yards is not an easy task for the farmers.
Wangduephodrang Representative, MP Sonam Yangchen, shared a survey report in the National Council. Given the shortage of storerooms, many farmers have no choice but to keep their produce in trucks before the auction day, according to the report.
Also, since there is no base auction price, farmers often land up selling their produce at lower price which does not even fetch the transportation cost.
The report also states that the service charge farmers pay to the Food Corporation of Bhutan (FCB) differ from month to month. Farmers pay service charge to FCB for communicating with the bidders from India.
In keeping with the discussions, the NC MP of Chhukha, Tshewang Lhamo, submitted recommendations to improve marketing strategies and procedures. To construct additional auction yards and fix a base auction price were some of the recommendations.
The rest of the council members supported the recommendations put up by MP Tshewang Lhamo. Two more recommendations – to set up regional auction yards in border dzongkhags and to have cold storage at the existing auction yards to store potatoes before auctioning- were added.
