Phurpa Lhamo  | Gasa

Despite Gasa’s harsh weather conditions and short cultivation season, the dzongkhag is self-sufficient in vegetables and dairy products.

As of August 20, the dzongkhag exported around 13.3 metric tonnes (MT) of vegetables. A majority of the vegetables were sold to Punakha and around 3MT of potatoes were sold to Thimphu dzongkhag.

Today, the dzongkhag cultivates various kinds of vegetables in its Khatoed and Khamoed gewogs, which are much warmer compared to Lunana and Laya.

On August 26, farmers from Khatoed and Khamoed donated around three boleros of vegetables, rice and fruits to De-Suups and the monastic body along with 50kg of butter and 40kg of cheese.

There are around 100 De-Suups in the dzongkhag.

Gasa Dratshang Umzey Tshering Dhendup said that around 80 monks live inside the dzong and around 12 monks stayed in the newly constructed drasha. Villagers from the two gewogs had earlier donated fruits to the dratshang during kurim.

Dzongkhag agriculture officer Karma Wangchuk said that because almost everyone in the dzongkhag has a kitchen garden, there was no issue of vegetable shortage.

Prior to the lockdown, the dzongkhag took some major initiatives in agriculture to ensure that the dzongkhag had vegetables supply during the lockdown.

Greenhouse distribution, fallow land revival, electric fencing, bio-fertilizers and distribution of improved seeds were executed as part of the agriculture Economic Contingency Plan (AECP) with a budget of Nu 5.4 million (M).

Around 70 acres of land in Khatoed and Khamoed were also developed for cultivation.

The dzongkhag officials also initiated the Dzongkhag Zhiyog Lamten Dumra and Gomo Lhatshog Dumra by the Gasa dratshang. Under the Dzongkhag Zhiyog Lamten Dumra and the Gomo Lhatshog Dumra by the Gasa dratshang, small gardens were maintained by the civil servants and the dratshang body.

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