Kelzang Wangchuk | Samdrupjongkhar

A windstorm destroyed more than four acres of maize belonging to 19 households at Durungri in Dungmaed gewog, Pemagatshel at around 4am on September 20.

The dzongkhag agriculture officer (DAO), Tashi Phuntsho, said that the gewog agriculture extension officer and gewog administration carried out the assessment and submitted the report to the dzongkhag disaster management office.

“Of the 19 households, three households have been severely affected as they lost more than 10 percent of their crops.”

The DAO said that since maize is in the tasseling stage, most of the plants would recover as they were not severely damaged. This is the second time windstorm had destroyed maize.

He said that the dzongkhag agriculture office would provide high-breed maize seeds to the farmers. 

“The estimated yield loss to the storm was found to be more than five metric tonnes.”