All 205 gewogs to get power tillers, electric fencing and centres with a farm shop each this year

MoA: All 205 gewogs in the country will be provided with power tillers, electric fencing and gewog centres with a farm shop each by this year, agriculture minister Yeshey Dorji said.

Lyonpo Yeshey Dorji said the ministry has decided on providing three important things to address people’s need every year.  This year, he said, the ministry is emphasising labour shortage, lack of market to sell farm products and human wild life conflict.

“The ministry has already provided power tillers to every gewog in six eastern dzongkhags and will be providing to all 205 gewogs by this year,” he said.

He said that, with every parent enrolling their children in schools, farmers are today running short of hands to work in the fields.  The power tillers, he said, were provided to ease their difficulties.

“Power tillers can be used for transportation, not just to till earth,” he said, adding that, while providing these machines is a party pledge, it was more important to address the people’s problems.

He said the ministry would construct a farm shop in every gewog centre while its also working on providing electric fencings.

“The electric fencing, which were piloted in several areas proved productive and now we are going to install in other gewogs in Sarpang by this year,” he said.  But, farmers should bear the cost of the materials.

Lyonpo said that he had plans to visit all 205 gewogs by this year and, to date, he had visited 106 gewogs.

A 43-year old farmer Dorji from Jigmecholing gewog said power tillers and electric fencings would be helpful to all farmers.

“Our fields have been affected by wild animals every year and installing electric fencing will improve our livelihood,” he said.

By Yeshey Dema, Gelephu

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