Watermelon farmers in Pema Gatshel who had taken up large-scale production are nervous that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic would affect sales.
Vegetable groups of Durungri in Dungmaed, Telung in Dechhenling, Awshing in Chhimoong, and Khangma in Yurung Gewog have been growing watermelon for commercial purpose since 2019. Watermelon was introduced on trial basis in four gewogs of Pema Gatshel in 2017. The trial was a huge success, and many farmers in the gewogs have now ventured into large-scale watermelon plantation.
The first batch of the produce from the large-scale farms will hit the market in a month’s time. While farmers are looking forward to a successful yield, they are jittery about sales due to closure of schools and market scenario in the wake of COVID-19.
Speaking to BBS, Thinley Tempa, one of the farmers involved in the trial run from Telung Village in Dechhenling Gewog, said that he started mass plantation with a farmers group after he found it feasible during the two-year trial period.
“Last year, I did not have any problem with sales as I had cultivated watermelons in a smaller area and was able to sell here and in Nganglam. This year we are expecting a higher yield but with COVID-19 we don’t know where to sell our produce as schools are closed as well,” he said.
The Dzongkhag Agriculture Officer of Pema Gatshel, Tashi Phuntsho, said that sales should not be an issue since there isn’t much import of fruits and vegetables at the moment. “We should be able to sell the produce easily in the eastern regions. We are also exploring market links with dzongkhags that do not grow watermelons,” he said.
Watermelon cultivation was introduced in the Dzongkhag to improve the livelihoods of farmers in the gewogs. The farmers groups plan to scale up productions in the coming years based on demand. The successful harvest of watermelons in the Dzongkhag is also expected to significantly reduce the import of watermelons from India.
Thinley Dorji
