BHUTAN TODAY The New Perspective

…𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒇𝒇 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 By Leki Chungdon Samdingkha Basic Health Unit (BHU) in Punakha Dzongkhag provides essential health services to Toedwang and Chhubu Gewogs, as well as one chiwog from Dzomi Gewog, but it operates with only three staff members. Currently, two health assistants and one traditional health assistant are responsible …

…𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑪𝒉𝒉𝒐𝒌𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒅 By UgyenThinleyFalling prices, poor weather, and concerns over fairness in the auction process have affected this year’s Cordyceps collection season in Chhokhor Gewog, Bumthang, leaving many collectors struggling to earn from what is often their only source of income. Only 566 collectors participated this year. The …

…𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏’𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒌 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 By Sonam Choden Since it began operations in 2014, the dairy processing plant in Mongar has been a working example of women-led rural enterprise. Managed by the Zhonggar Nazhoen Gonor Gongphel Detshen, a community collective, the initiative started with thirteen members- twelve women and one man. Today, …

…𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒚𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒆 By Kinzang Lhamo In response to ongoing concerns about poor market infrastructure affecting vendors and buyers, the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives (DAMC), working with Kaja Thromde, has started significant development work at the wholesale vegetable market in Babesa, Thimphu. The project aims to improve conditions …

…𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒑 𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒕𝒔𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒈 By Leki Chungdon In Singyegang village, Tashicholing Gewog, Samtse Dzongkhag, dragon fruit cultivation is emerging as a promising agricultural venture that offers potential for income diversification and increased local fruit production. Currently, only one farmer in the gewog grows the fruit, but the initiative led by K.N …