Commercial Agriculture and Resilient Livelihoods Enhancement Programme Stories of Change Compilation of Case Stories and Articles Issue II (2018-19) Editors Dorji Wangchuck Lhab Dorji Karma Wangmo Lodey Phuntsho Sonam Gyeltshen Ugyen Wangdi Sangay Jamtsho Sangay Choeda Sangay Choda Compiled By Karma Wangmo Design and Layout Sangay Choda Photographs contributed by Respective Author, except for: - Sangay Choda Cover Page,7,12, 25, 31, 33, 43, 45, 48, 51, 55 - Sangay Jamtsho 3, 5, 13, 50, 52, 53, 54 - Ugyen Wangdi 39, 40, 41 - Sonam Rinchen 24 Any article may be reproduced with prior permission from Office of the Programme Management. Copyright reserved @CARLEP2018 Table of Content Vegetable Intensification Protected Agriculture practice in Khaling 3 Enhancing Mushroom cultivation 6 Onion – A source of cash income for women 10 Vegetable Production intensified through Commercial sites 12 Dairy Development Lhamo Norgin Phendhen Deytshen 14 Oat production as winter fodder in Bikhar 16 CAIT-CAHW successful in Themnangbi and Jaibab 19 Napier and Gautemala plantation on Marginal Land 25 Commercial dairy farming in Bikhar 27 Dungmanma Jersey Sochong Detsen in Serthig 31 Market Linkage Producer-Trader Linkage at Ballam 34 Market Linkage through School Linking Program 37 Climate Change Adaptation Impact of pipeline irrigation for vegetable production 40 New Resilient Vegetable Varieties for Commercialization 42 Youth and Women Land Use Certificate engages youth in farming 43 Transforming life- a story of youth dairy group at Jamkhar 45 Women Leadership in Vegetable farming 48 Transforming dreams into reality: Yangdhen Horticulture Farm 50 Lead Farmer Lead farmer leads other farmers 54 Institutional Support Impact of Farmers’ training 56 Stories of Change CARLEP Programme Profile Programme Title: Commercial Agriculture & Resilient Livelihoods Enhancement Programme (CARLEP) Location: Six eastern Dzongkhags (Lhuentse, Mongar, Pema Gatshel, Samdrup Jongkhar, Trashigang and Trashi Yangtse) and will be scaled up in Chukha, Sarpang, Tsirang and Zhemgang Dzongkhags for vegetable value chain in the second phase of the programme (see Maps alongside). Implementing Agencies: Ministry of Agriculture & Forests (as the lead implementing agency) in collaboration with FCBL, ARDC Wengkhar, RLDC Kanglung, RAMCO Mongar and Programme Dzongkhag Administrations. Goals & Objectives: The overall programme goal is to sustainably increase smallholder farmers’ incomes and reduce rural poverty through climate resilient commercialized production of crops and livestock by programme households linked to nationally organized value chains and marketing systems. The specific objective is to increase returns to smallholder farmers through climate resilient production of crops and livestock in nationally organized value chains and marketing systems. Outputs: 1. Increased production resilience, diversification and innovation 2. Vegetable production intensified and expanded 3. Dairy production intensified and expanded 4. Resilient vegetable and dairy value chains developed 5. Agricultural commercialization and enterprise development strengthened 6. Community driven strategic market infrastructure developed 7. Strengthened value chain and marketing knowledge and communication 8. Climate change resilience and value chain lessons mainstreamed in agricultural policies and sector strategies Components: Component 1: Market-led Sustainable Agricultural Production Component 2: Value Chain Development and Marketing Component 3: Institutional Support and Policy Development Component 4: Programme Management, Coordination and Monitoring & Evaluation 1 e-Mail : [email protected] MoAF & IFAD Issue ii Programme Profile Programme Area The programme will target selected Gewogs in six eastern Dzongkhags (Lhuentse, Mongar, Pemagatshel, Samdrup Jongkhar, Trashiyangtse and Trashigang) with high production and marketing potential in the selected value chains. The programme will benefit 28000 smallholder HHs of which 5000 HH will directly benefit from vegetable and dairy value chains. In its second phase (post 2018 and depending upon the performance during in MTR and RGoB’s priority), the programme will be scaled-up in Gewogs with high production and marketing potential for the vegetable value chain in the south-central and south- western Dzongkhags (Chhukha, Tsirang, Sarpang and Zhemgang), adding 7500 direct beneficiaries (1500 HH). www.carlep.gov.bt 2 Stories of Change CARLEP Protected Agriculture practices demonstrated in Khaling Pema Wangchuk, EA Khaling Farmers’ Feild Day conducted to demostrate Protected Agriculture Introduction Therefore, the gewog agriculture extension For the year-round production and supply office initiated the installation of two of the vegetables in the country, the numbers of protected vegetable cultivation Department of Agriculture (DoA) is in focus structure in mid 2017 with 27 farmers (6 for various strategies including staggered male, 21 female) from Bayphu Pam and and protected vegetable cultivation. 12 members (2 male, 10 female) from Jeri, Aligning towards this goal, two farmers’ Lemi and Thrizor villages. Two numbers of groups in Khaling gewog of Trashigang greenhouse measuring 10*6 meters was Dzongkhag started protected vegetable used for growing cole crops, tomatoes and cultivation practice in early 2017 with chilli seedlings as reflected in Table 1. the support of CARLEP support to the Tomatoes is one vegetables harvested by Dzongkhag. the farmers of Khaling gewog for the first Venturing into protected vegetable time in protected vegetable cultivation. In cultivation the past, tomatoes were often destroyed by the heavy rain in summer and frost in Located at the altitude ranging from 16000- winter, thus had to be imported. 2200masl, Bayphu Pam and Thrizor villages of Khaling gewog experiences Protected cultivation brings double the prolong winter seasons and receives yield from open space cultivation relatively higher rainfall during summer. Farmers find it difficult to grow tomatoes This erratic weather patterns have in open field. Most fruits get damaged with impeded the farmers from the year-round blight infestation. The average tomatoes production of the vegetables. per acre in open field is expected to be 3 e-Mail : [email protected] MoAF & IFAD Issue ii Table 1. Table shows off season vegetable production from green house Crop Nursery Harvest Produc- Rate Income (Month) (Month) tion/sale (Nu) (Nu.) Bayphu Cabbage November,2017 March,2018 67 Kgs 25 1675 Pam veg. April,2018 16 Kgs 15 240 Group Carrot November,2017 April,2018 5 Kgs 40 200 Chilli seed- March,2018 April,2018 30 bun- 50 1500 lings dles Tomato March,2018 August 40 30 1200 Total income(Nu) 4815/- Thrizor Cabbage November,2017 March,2018 50 kgs 18 900 Veg. Group Carrot April,2018 40kgs 18 720 Tomato April,2018 August 40 30 1200 Total income(Nu) 2820/- about 1,3120kg. However, cultivation of that the weeds invasion is relatively lower tomatoes under protected structure not and the requirement for irrigation water only can protect the crop from infestations is also lower inside the protected plastic but also showed a higher yield per acre of house. This provides the farmers with more about 2,650kg, which is double the yield time to invest in other economic activities. from the open field. Moreover, protected vegetable cultivation Observed benefits of the protected protects the fragile crops like tomatoes vegetable cultivation which cannot withstand the extreme atmospheric conditions in the open space. Beside off-season production of the vegetables, due to the controlled In addition, the protected vegetable atmospheric conditions, the failure of the cultivation is suitable for the country like crops grown inside the protected plastic Bhutan, where a majority of the landholding house is comparatively lower than the size is small and are predominated crops grown in the open space. The farmers can reap what they have toiled with limited attention and efforts required in warding off the wild animals and other preys like cattle. Similarly, the gewog agriculture extension office of Khaling observed Greenhouse installed in Khaling for Protected Agriculture www.carlep.gov.bt 4 Stories of Change CARLEP by sloppy and rugged terrains. The the country could take up. It has the proven protected vegetable cultivation requires benefits of being economically, socially comparatively small land size, and, and environmentally sustainable. With the within the same plastic house, numerous limited land, water, and labor requirement, crops and vegetables can be grown optimal productions can be reaped from simultaneously. the protected vegetable house at all Supports and services infused to the season with the limited risk of infections group and damages. CARLEP supported the Bayphu Pam and The technology if promoted in an Thrizor vegetable groups to start-up with appropriate and intensive manner have the protected vegetable cultivation. A total of potential to attract the urban youth to take Nu. 10,000/- was allocated for the activity up vegetable farming, thereby, contributing to promote the production of sufficient to reducing the youth unemployment vegetables throughout the season. and rural-urban migration issues. The technology also has the potential to have From this allocation, two sets of poly the commercial and consistence vegetable house (Nu. 8,050 per poly house) and the productions throughout the seasons, materials for the installation of the plastic thereby, reducing the need for importing house