Lower Tashiding’s vegetable group is optimistic of producing better yield next year

Vegetables: Despite failing to meet the set target this year, lower Tashiding’s winter vegetable tshogpa is optimistic of producing better yields next year.

The vegetable group in lower Tashiding, Dagana formed last year to supply winter or off-season vegetables has nine households as members.

When the group started, each household set a target of producing 1,000kgs of vegetables each. However, each household managed to produce only about 250 to 700kgs of vegetables this winter.

The chairman of the group, Lian Bahadur Rai attributed the poor yield to mainly pests. However, he said members were optimistic of producing double of what they produced this winter.

Lian Bahadur Rai said that they formed the group to supply the winter vegetables through mass production.

The nine households grow vegetables on nine acres of land. The group has received free seeds, cement, a water tank, a green house and water pipes from the agriculture ministry.

The vegetable group supplies vegetables to the Thimphu centenary market and other nearby markets in Dagapela and Dagana.

Chairman Lian Bahadur Rai said that they sell the vegetables at a reasonable price. He added that there were no issues in selling their produce given the high demand from vegetable vendors. “We started with winter vegetables as people don’t grow vegetables in most places which leads to vendors importing from India,” he said.

Lian Bahadur Rai also said that they want to set an example to other tshogpas across the country so that they can form similar groups to curb import of vegetables in the country.

Yeshey Dema | Dagana