The Agriculture Ministry received152 power tillers under the KR- II grant on Thursday. The grant also includes accessories and spare parts worth 180 million Yen. The power tillers will soon be distributed to the farmers by the agriculture machinery centre in Paro.
In addition to the KR-II grant, the Japanese non-project grant aid also donated other agriculture machinery. These include 35 tractors, 77 paddy transplanters, 25 water pumps, 165 sets of plastic for green house and 85,000 seedlings for the underprivileged farmers worth 200 million Yen.
The First Secretary of Japanese Embassy in New Delhi, Manabu Suzuki formally handed over the machinery to the agriculture and forest Minister Lyonpo Dr. Pema Gyamtsho. Lyonpo said the KR-II grant is an unusual assistance to Bhutan supporting development by strengthening the grassroots. He thanked the Japanese government for the assistance provided over the years.
“Mechanizing the farm will help in reducing rural urban migration and this will also encourage youth to work in the fields,” said the Agriculture and Forest Minister.
The First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in New Delhi said he is impressed with the changes that Bhutan has gone through with the help of the grant.
“I am happy to see that the farm work in Bhutan has really improved not only in productivity but also in labour reduction,” said Manabu Suzuki, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in New Delhi.
In the past 25 years Bhutan has received farm machineries worth Nu. 1.5 billion.
This includes 2,000 power tillers, 300 tractors, rice mills, threshers and irrigation pumps. The KR-II grant was formulated in 1977 to provide assistance to developing countries in increasing food production.
