Nima | Gelephu

Sarpang’s vegetable market shed, located in old Sarpang town area, lies abandoned.

Despite being centrally located, it was not poplar among farmers of Gakiling, Chhudzom, Singye, and Dekiling.

Shompangkha Gup Suk Dorji Yonjan said the farmers preferred to sell their produce in Gelephu.

The gewog hopes to revive the market with construction of a road connecting Kencholing village which has huge potential for agriculture farming.

Suk Dorji Yonjan said that the road leading to the village was frequently damaged during monsoon.

The gewog is encouraging farmers to start backyard farming.

“This is to ensure uniform farm produce from the gewog. We hope this would help make good use of the vegetable market which is underutilised today,” he said. With support from gewog, almost all the households in the gewog have started farming on at least one-acre land to encourage mass vegetable production.

This would make the best use of the structure that remains empty today.

The Nu 8 million market shed was constructed with support from the dzongkhag administration in 2014.

Gakiling Gup Nim Dorji said that the vegetable shed was constructed after the farmers were seen selling vegetables in makeshift sheds in the old Sarpang town. “The vegetable shed remained underused after people started to move to Gelephu, Sarpang Tar, and new town area in Gakiling gewog.”