Chimong Gewog: Seventy-year-old Sangay Dorji’s mandarin will no longer rot on trees, and his land will not remain fallow. His cash income generation, he said, should double by next year.
These are the expectations Sangay Dorji, who earns about Nu 30,000 to 40,000 from mandarin annually, has, as a result of the 70km farm road connecting his village in Chimong in less than four months.
Chimong gewog is officially two-day walk from Pemagatshel town, and faces Kengkhar valley in Mongar. Orange is the main cash crop, and maize is the staple diet of those in Chimong.
In Chimong, farmers said the land is fertile for growing varieties of vegetable, like peas, beans, brinjal, potato, radish, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, chili and varieties of other crops; but, because market accessibility was an issue, they usually practiced subsistence farming.
“We have enough land and manpower otherwise,” Sangay Dorji said. “It’s a joy that we’re getting connected by a farm road for our lifestyle and income will change.”
The distance between Chimong and Pemagatshel is expected to be reduced to about four hours.
Farmers either carry on their back on transport on mule. “We pay Nu 10 for a pon (80 oranges) to reach the road point in Tshebar, which is almost a day’s walk,” a farmer said. “More than half the income we made went into transportation cost.”
Farmer Tashi Wangdi said, often, farmers hesitated to work, because ultimately taking products to the market was a problem.
“Without a farm road, we can continue living the way we did before,” Tashi said. “But we’ve seen how it benefits communities that are connected, and knowing that our community is getting connected encourages us to strive to do better”
Meanwhile, another farmer, 76-year-old Naku said farm roads were shortening distances between places, and farmers were getting more opportunities to earn cash income.
“To me, farm road connectivity is the most important service our government has provided to alleviate poverty,” he said.
By Nirmala Pokhrel, Pemagatshel
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