March 30, 2017

 After the success of rice double harvest in Rinchengang village in Wangdue, the dzongkhag is now expanding the strategy in other gewogs to boost rice production.
Last week, six households of Hebesa and Mephuna villages in Gase-Tshogwom gewog carried out paddy plantation on an acre of paddy fields as part of a rice double harvest trial in the gewog.
The gewog agriculture extension officer, Chimmi, said the dzongkhag agriculture sector took the initiative for the rice double harvest by providing seeds and other support from the Agriculture Research Development Centre in Bajo and the dzongkhag.
A Hebisa villager, Kinley Gem, said if the trial plantation gives good yield, they will continue the practice.
Another villager, Towchu, said they are excited to about the double harvest.
Gase-Tshogwom gup, Kinzang Thinley, said the main objective is to increase rice production.
He said that although all households in the village cultivate paddy abundantly, people still have to buy imported rice. “Such an initiative would reduce our dependency on imported rice.”
The gup said that human-wildlife conflict would remain a challenge to the initiative.
The dzongkhag agriculture officer, Sonam Zangpo, said they that the people of Gase-Tshogwom gewog were interested and the area was also found feasible. “We are planning to initiate such cultivations in Daga gewog in future.”
He said Wangdue produced around 5,244 metric tonnes (MT) of rice last year. “The dzongkhag is set to achieve 5414.50MT of paddy for the 2017-2018 fiscal year and this double harvest is aimed to increase paddy production in the community.”
All the households grow paddy in the gewog. The gewog has 106 households and a population of about 863 people.
Dawa Gyelmo | Wangdue

AMICI DEL BHUTAN - ITALY