Nim Dorji | Bumthang

More than 15 acres of land in Gorthak in Chumey, Bumthang is being prepared for cultivation.

The land had remained barren for more than 15 years.

Of the fourteen households in Thrumo, only three are occupied. The rest have left the village and settled near the highway at Bithnag.

Due to human-wildlife conflict the villager had left the land mostly fallow. The people here usually depended on weaving yathra products.

The gewog administration has carried out land reclamation on a cost-sharing basis with the villagers.

The people have to pay for tractors. Excavator and materials for the electric fencing will be provided by the gewog office. The buckwheat seeds will be provided by the dzongkhag agriculture sector.

Chumey Gup Jamphel said that there were acres of land now left uncultivated.

Gewog last year prepared around 10 acres of land for cultivation.

Since the potatoes season is over, the people will grow buckwheat and wheat.

Lhamo Yangchen, a farmer, said that she was very happy to work in the field after 15 years. “It was difficult with increasing crop depredation.”

Another farmer, Pema, said that with the gewog planning to connect her village with the road, farming would not be a problem. “And people won’t leave their homes.”

Gup said that with the land reclamation there would be  large potato production.