Phub Dem | Paro

Unlike previous years, potato growers from Paro neither have to reach their produce to the Food Corporation of Bhutan’s depot nor auction them off.

The local vendors from Naja Gewog collect potatoes from their farm and the vendors pay prices ranging between Nu 1,700 and Nu 2,000 for 50 kilograms (a bag) of potato.

Kinley from Naja sold 58 bags of potatoes and made Nu 98,600.

“Potatoes are selling well this time round,” he said.

He added that he did not have to deal with the usual hassles involved with the FCBL depot—labour, storage and transportation charges, and long wait hours.

Besides, he said that they get the price of goods uncompromised. “With FCBL, we don’t have to bargain.”

Yangday, a farmer, has already conveyed 400 bags of potato to Phuentsholing.

 

How local vendors sell the produce?

When it comes to selling the potatoes to India, the issue of trust comes in.

Dawa Tshering, for example, sells the produce to Surendar, a buyer in India. After receiving orders from Surendar, he collects the produce from the farmers and reaches it up to the Rinchending checkpost.

After that, drivers from Phuentsholing collect it, and buyers from border towns will then arrange vehicles to collect it from there.

The payment has to be done through mBoB.

Dawa Tshering said there was a demand for potatoes in India because of bad harvest this year.

It has been more than a month since he started sending potatoes to Phuentsholing. He sent around 15 truckloads of potato so far.

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