A rainstorm on September 10 affected 40 households in five gewogs in Mongar. It damaged over 10 acres of maize field.

Jurmey gewog reported 13 affected households. Farmer Pema Wangchuk said this is not the first time rainstorm has damaged his crops.

“If the crop was not affected by the rainstorm, it could have been harvested by October and November,” he said. “It is very difficult to be a farmer.”

Another affected farmer Bothkey, 72 said that she cultivated maize on her 68 decimal of land and more than 34 decimal of maize was damaged. “We have no other source of income nor production this time.”

In Kengkhar gewog, 16 households reported damage from the rainstorm.  Details on the extent of damage are still being compiled.

In Thangrong gewog, six households reported damage to their maize field while three households in Gondue gewog were affected. Two households were also affected in Chasakhar gewog.

Gewog agriculture extension officials are visiting the gewogs to assess the damage.

Tashi Phuntsho  | Mongar