… other three eastern dzongkhags are self-sufficient

Tshering Namgyal | Mongar

A farmers’ group in Litishong village of Tsakaling gewog, known for large-scale early winter chili production, sold more than 100kg of winter green chilies.

The chilies fetched Nu 400 per kg before the imported chilies hit the market.

The group also sold 10.5 metric tonnes (MT) of cabbage, 1.5MT of broccoli, and 2MT of cauliflower to the local aggregators who buy and supply to local vendors in the vegetable market sheds of Mongar, Lingmethang, Gyalpoizhing towns last month.

Similarly, farmers from Kalapang in Saling gewog supplied 500kg of cauliflower, 200kg of broccoli, and 20kg of beans to Bumthang.




A farmer, Sonam Gyeltshen, sold about 159kg of oyster mushrooms in Gyalpoizhing and Mongar towns.

He also sold more than 2,600 oyster mushroom spawn to Bumthang, Samtse, Samdrupjongkhar, Lhuentse, Trashigang, Trashiyangtse, and Mongar dzongkhags.

Farmers of Chali gewog have also started harvesting their vegetables grown under the winter vegetable programme and sent a total of 350kg of beans, 200kg of broccoli, and 800kg of cauliflower to Bumthang.

The gewog is known for producing varieties of vegetables in large quantities throughout the year. It also sent a total of 680kg of beans and 2,680kg of cauliflower to the Thimphu Centenary Market last week.

Sherimuhung gewog sold 17.5MT of kidney beans (Rajma beans) to FCBL in Mongar. 




The farmers’ group in Yangbari under Gongdue gewog has also sold 250kg of small green chilies towards the end of December last year.

Meanwhile, the three dzongkhags of Lhuentse, Trashigang, and Trashiyangtse are self-sufficient and catered their winter vegetables for intra-dzongkhag consumption without many issues.

Agriculture officials claimed that with the exception of ginger and potatoes, there are no issues with the market for other produce from all four eastern dzongkhags.

They claimed Mongar has 20MT and Trashigang has 22MT of surplus ginger, while Lhuentse and Trashigang have 46MT and over 10MT of potatoes, respectively, in stock, for which the market is being explored.




Lhuentse also has 1.5MT of dried chilies in stock.

According to the assistant dzongkhag agriculture officer, Sonam Phuntsho, the dzongkhag agriculture sector is planning to supply surplus potatoes to schools.

Trashiyangtse officiating dzongkhag agriculture officer, Chimi Drakpa, said the vegetables produced in the dzongkhag are sufficient to meet demand in the dzongkhag, including the Kholongchu hydropower project. “The dzongkhag saw a small demand for green chilies and bought only 600kg of imported green chilies from the FCB so far.”

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