Tomato is usually grown and marketed by farmers from Punakha, Paro and Tsirang where the temperature is warm and moderate. For the first time, farmers from a highland district of Haa are in Thimphu with their organically grown tomatoes to compete with the imported tomatoes.
“Haa Farm Fresh Tomato” is a group formed by 80 farmers form Uesu and Samar Gewog of Haa dzongkhag. It was in 2014 when these farmers started growing the vegetable using poly house or greenhouse with support from Haa Organic Farming Support Initiative. The production boosted within a short span of time. One of the reasons why they are here to sell their produce is due to the stiff competition in Haa, a scarcely populated district.
“Many people may think that Haa dzongkhag only produces flour. The time has changed now. Tomato farming in Haa is booming and today we are here to sell our products for the very first time. If we are able to sell our products well, it would not only benefit the people of Haa dzongkhag in general but also empower women in the remote villages of Haa who are cultivating the vegetable. We have a lot of cultivators there and the production is good. Most of the people there don’t consume tomato much. That is why we are here,” said Sonam Dema, a representative of the group in Samar Gewog.
“Our tomatoes grown organically are much better than the imported ones which are mostly infested with chemicals. People say that it is impossible to grow tomatoes in Haa but it is not. With a little bit of effort using greenhouses, It is possible to grow there and the production is excellent. If the competition here becomes stiff, we will sell the tomatoes at a lower rate,” added Pema Thungzom, a representative of the group from Uesu Gewog.
Each household cultivates tomato in a 2 decimal land and they produce almost a ton in a week. The farmers remain optimistic as they start their venture in the large market of the capital. They are supported by Haa Organic Farming support Initiative, Department of Agriculture Marketing Cooperatives and Food Security and Agriculture Productivity Program.
