Second farm shop in Wangdue inaugurated
January 14, Gangtey Geog, Wangdue: The second farm shop in Wangdue Dzongkhag was inaugurated in Gangtey Geog which will serve as market outlets for the RNR products, provide buyback guarantee and facilitate access to farm inputs and basic food and essential commodities to farming communities. The First Farm shop was inaugurated by Agriculture minister at Serphu Geog in 2015.
The shop has items worth of Nu. 10,00,000 and items like SK Gold Rice, Local rice, Sherya soap (red & white), Sugar and Salt for sale. Other grocery items will soon be made available too. On the opening day itself the shop sold around Nu.12, 700 worth of items.
Dasho Dzongdag of Wangduephodrang Dzongkhag inaugurated the farm shop. In his opening remarks, Dasho Dzongdag highlighted the importance of setting up of shop in Gangtey geog by the government. He informed the people that besides the benefits from easy access to grocery items, the community will have access to the farm inputs. He also informed that local products will also be sold and each household should have a vegetable garden for self sufficient vegetable consumption so that there is no need to buy from a third country due to shortage of Indian Rupee. This farm shop will also benefit Phobjikha Geog which has around 400 households.
In addition, the community of Gangtey geog already has a farm road and power tillers which will help them in better production of potatoes and buckwheat to sell in the urban market through the buyback facilities of the Farm Shop.
The inauguration was also attended by the officials including Regional Manager Pelden Tashi of the Food Corporation of Bhutan, Thimphu; Department of Agricultural Marketing and Coopera- tives (DAMC); RNR- sector heads of Wangdue Dzongkhag; and local leaders and farmers of the five Chiwogs of Gangtey Geog. During the vote of thanks by the Gup of Gangtey Geog, the people of Gangtey expressed their happiness for the setting up of the shop in their community. The old livestock Extension Centre (LES) which has now been converted to a farm shop was renovated Nu.12. Lakhs through funding from GOI by DAMC and handed over to FCB.
With this shop DAMC has now opened 38 Farm Shops in the country.
