After fourteen years of leaving their paddy fields fallow, the villagers of Phangyuel Gewog in Wangdue Phodrang have resumed paddy cultivation. It is now harvesting time, and the villagers are busy reaping the benefits of a new irrigation water supply project from the Baychhu stream. With reliable access to irrigation, farmers have expanded their paddy cultivation beyond what is needed for self-consumption, boosting agricultural productivity in Phangyuel.
Sixty-one-year-old Namgay Pelzom remains busy these days harvesting her paddy. Recently, she was seen working alongside over fifteen co-workers in her field.
She previously cultivated paddy only for self-consumption, drawing limited water from nearby sources.
However, this year, with improved access to irrigation, she expects to sell around 2,000 kilogrammes of rice at the market.
“Of course, I could not cultivate my entire paddy field, but I managed to plant nearly two and a half extra acres this time, thanks to the Baychhu water supply. So, we will have enough rice this time. We have managed to survive on our own so far, but now, I am confident we will have a surplus of rice,” said Namgay Pelzom, a farmer.
All the farmers in the village are excited to see a high-quality and bountiful paddy harvest this year.
This year’s successful paddy cultivation was made possible by the Nu 550 M irrigation water supply project.
It was supported by the United Nations Development Programme and funded by the Green Climate Fund and the government.
“So far, we have survived by importing rice from the market. But this year, we won’t need to buy it from the shop. We have cultivated enough paddy, and we won’t run out of rice. We will have to sell some. So, I am planning to take our rice to Thimphu for sale,” said Chador Namgay, another farmer.
“Normally, I cultivate paddy in six plots. But this year, I managed to cultivate paddy in nine plots on my own. Previously, we could not do that much, and the yield was not good due to a lack of irrigation water supply,” said Ugyen Dema, also a farmer.
Some farmers are concerned about finding a market for their surplus rice.
In response, the Phangyuel Gewog Administration plans to engage with highlanders, who typically purchase rations from the market each year.
“I found that our rice is mostly being bought by people from Lunana and Laya in Gasa so far. Therefore, in addition to selling in towns, we are also planning to discuss and explore business opportunities with them,” said Kinley Dendup, Phangyuel Mangmi.
Farmers are now planning to cultivate winter crops from this year onwards.
Around 165 households cultivated paddy this season and are expecting to produce over 400 metric tonnes of rice.
The number of paddy growers is expected to increase next year.
Changa Dorji, Wangdue Phodrang
Edited by Sherub Dorji
