Chhimi Dema 

The Bhutan Livestock Development Corporation Limited (BLDCL), facilitated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests (MoAF), has distributed dairy products and meat in Thimphu sourced from other dzongkhags.

The BLDCL distributed 9.4 metric tonnes (MT) of meat consisting of chicken, beef, fish, and yaksha; 1.14MT of butter, 839kg of cheese, and 294 cartons of eggs to Thimphu from January 18 to 24.

The “blackout” in 14 dzongkhags started on January 16. For seven dzongkhags, including Thimphu, the lockdown is extended until January 30.

According to a Facebook post from the ministry, the livestock commodities were sourced from other dzongkhags, except for beef, which was imported.




The ministry also facilitated the supply of fruit and vegetables from January 20.

The zone markets in Thimphu have sufficient vegetables and meat supplies today.

Thinley Dorji, a resident in Changzamtog, said that the products supplied were equivalent to normal days.

“Unlike the previous lockdowns, this time we don’t have to worry about not getting enough vegetables,” he said.

The ministry posted on its Facebook page that as of January 23, vegetables were supplied to 380 shops including zone markets, and about 95 shops were replenished with vegetables and fruit every day.




The ministry imported and distributed 246MT of vegetables and fruit, and domestically sourced assorted and leafy vegetables.

“The MoAF will continue to put an effort into making sure that food security is not hampered despite the lockdown,” the post stated.

The ministry issued a notification on the selling price of vegetables and fruit during the lockdown for Thimphu Thromde on January 20.

If vendors overcharge, consumers can report it to the Office of Consumer Protection at the toll-free number, 1214.