My First Blog

Who Want to be in Rural?

On the way rushing up towards project sites, a spectacular scene of a couple and a son harvesting vegetables just above the road stopped us. It is neither early nor late but timeless for our farmers continuously feeding us in all the time. We were immeasurably delighted to witness our growers exercising the larger scale of farming.      

For the last decades, Agriculture in Bhutan saw only for self consumption and opportunity of expanding it to commercial purpose was hardly taken up by very few or none. This may be the scarce of latest  technological inputs which inhibited the interest of our producer in extensive commercial production. One of the keystone aspect of success in commercial farming is accessibility to basic infrastructures such as roads, markets, technical supports and farmers training. 

Recognizing the Agriculture in Bhutan as a dominant role in country's economy, Royal Government of Bhutan, in collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in establishment of top priority in SMART agriculture practice.  This includes mechanization of farming, inputs support such as hybrid seed and saplings, greenhouse, plastic mulching and dip irrigation besides primary focus on farm road connectivity, agriculture land development, irrigation schemes, and marketing opportunities..etc.. With all these move, our food maker are now no longer have to worry for augmenting the scale of production. 

Many agriculturists across the country have already jumped to commercial cultivation and started earning excellent income. Mr. Lok Bdr. Gurung is one I have come across among many. He is literally not educated yet his experiences in farming keep him in the top of production which gives attractive revenue.

 

Income?

Do you want to know how much he is earning annually? I would rather tell you his income in a week. I asked him the area of cultivation he usually grow vegetables annually and he said 50 to 60 decimal of land is compulsorily keep for vegetables and rest he grows other. His income is Nu. 15000 in a week on average which is not only not small but more than the salary of a graduate who can earn in a month. 

I was initially astonished and unbelievable to hear the level of production and income he generates. I personally measured the kilogram of vegetables a couple have been collected for sale for that particular week and they said the turn over could be around 150kg of only cauliflower and they sell at 50 per kg. It is "Wow" right? 

Marketing?

Now, marketing of surplus produce has become so easy with the all the facilities accessible. Farm road connectivity has bridged almost all the places because of which grassroot people do not have to carry vegetables to market in the town like before they used to. The number of vegetable vendors is multiplying every year within the locality and they collect vegetables weekly from the place of origin and market to the town. Moreover, vendors also offers a reasonable price to grower benefiting the both.    

Who Wants to be a farmer?

I believe rural is not a place absence of what finds in the town, indeed it is a store of all the basic needs of our very survival of humanity missing in the town. To be a farmer, it is nowhere the farmer must be uneducated as wrongly perceives by many. Our youths are migrating to town looking for job opportunities while farming remains the best gateway. 

It might be the situation of earlier where no electricity, no road accessibility, no internet connectivity and no television might have force our people to move to urban for better luxury. However, the scenario is entirely altered today and life of urbanites is not as easy as we see in the rural areas. 

In Thimphu which is one of the hotspot of country's population, a kilogram of chili cost more than Nu.300 today which is too expensive for ordinary people. Rental is another inevitable expenses to live in the cities which is so exorbitant. All these sort of conditions are unbearable and I feel cities are not a right place for last earner, jobless people and migrater. Why our people, especially the youths waste their precious time looking for opportunities that will never happen while agriculture in back at home offers better income opportunity?  

So, the career in agriculture sector can be a profound entrance to startup that everyone can seize. Labor gap is hugely shorten by modern mechanization, water inadequacy is no more a worry for government has already initiated under flagship program. Accessibility to infrastructure such as road is not only constructed but improving every year. Low interest rate of Agriculture loan by all the banks is another advantage a farmers can avail to boost agriculture productivity and create employment seats and accelerate economy of the country. In such way, government is supporting farmers in every sides making the farming a best future success. 

And I foresee the brighter future is truly vested in Agriculture and as always, government must continue  supporting in advancement of science and technologies in agriculture sector.  

  

Thank You