Bhutan is an agrarian society with about 70 percent of the population depending on agriculture for their livelihood. Ironically, Bhutan imports huge amount of agriculture products from India and other neighboring countries. In an effort to change that and at the same time achieve self-sufficiency, winter vegetable production kick started in Serzhong village under Sarpang Dzongkhag today.
Winter vegetable production on a commercial scale was launched by the Director General of the Department of Agriculture, Tenzin Dendup.
“You stay in the village, you have land and depend on agriculture but every weekend when we ask where you are going, the answer is we are going to the weekend vegetable market to buy vegetables. If you think properly it is quite embarrassing,” Tenzin Dendup.
He said it is important to produce enough vegetable throughout the year to cut down dependency on other countries for vegetables. “During winter, those of you living in lower altitude will produce the vegetable and supply to the high altitude areas and during the summer those in the high altitude areas will supply to the low altitude areas.”
Serzhong Gup, Sangay Yonten, expressed appreciation for the help provided by the government to the people.
“It’s time for us to wake up. We have become very dependent on others. One day if they say they cannot supply vegetable to us then we will be in problem. It’s time to act now and support the government’s initiative,” said Sangay Yonten.
Sangay Yonten said they have decided to grow vegetables in all the five chiwogs. “We have also formed groups.”
People are hopeful that they will be able to achieve the government’s aim of making the country self sufficient in vegetable production.
“We have the capability to produce winter vegetable and we can do it,” said the District Agriculture Officer, Jigme Dorji.
Vegetables produced in Sarpang Dzongkhag will be supplied to the Centenary farmer’s market in Thimphu and the Punatshangchu Hydro Power Projects.
Ten gewogs under Sarpang dzongkhag will be growing vegetables on 420 acres of land.
