In Samdrup Jongkhar, two villagers of Gomdar Gewog have come forward to meet the growing demand for wooden crates ahead of the orange export season. It has become a reliable source of income as the import of wooden crates from India has been discontinued. Currently, four orange exporters are setting up an orange depot in Samdrup Jongkhar town, and each depot requires up to 30,000 crates.
61-year-old Jigme Dorji has set up a small sawmill in front of his house where he makes wooden crates. On average, Jigme makes about 60 crates a day.
Jigme and his wife have finished making 2,000 crates so far this year. He started crate production just last year and earned around Nu 300,000.
“In the past, I started the orange business by setting up a small depot in Samdrup Jongkhar. I had to spend about Nu 1.2 M for crates alone. So, that is when I realised that making crates would be a profitable business as woods are available here. Last year, I earned about Nu 300,000, with which I was able to recover the money I spent on buying machines and all. From this year, I think I will be able to make a good income,” said Jigme Dorji, a resident.
Another villager, Ngawang Dorji, also started producing crates this year. So far, he has made about 4,000 crates and is expecting to earn about Nu 300,000 this season. Each wooden crate fetches Nu 90.
“Before, exporters used Indian-made crates. Now, exporters say the import of crates is banned. So, we are taking this to our advantage as it is a good opportunity to make income for villagers like us,” said Ngawang Dorji, another resident.
Orange exporters in Samdrup Jongkhar are preparing to begin exporting oranges to Bangladesh next month.
Unlike previous seasons, they are optimistic about securing enough locally made crates this time. Exporters have already placed orders from the DeSuup Skilling Programme and various sawmills across the country.
“We also prefer locally made crates as money goes out when we import. So, getting locally made crates will keep our money within the country only. It is a good opportunity,” said Seyna, an orange exporter.
“I have placed orders for 15,000 crates to the villagers. They have made the crates with some already delivered to the depot,” said Gutong, also an orange exporter.
According to the Integrated Agriculture and Livestock Census of Bhutan 2023, Samdrup Jongkhar produced more than 260 truckloads of oranges.
Bhutan Trade Statistics 2022 shows that the country imported Nu 6 M worth of wooden crates, boxes, cable drums and similar packaging materials from India.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Phub Gyem
