May 21, 2021

One way we hope to help encourage sustainable farming and agriculture is by providing appropriate tools and equipment.

The aid of farming equipment can help ease intensive manual work, as well as reduce the time and cost of labor. Removing these roadblocks allows local farmers to expand their farmland, scale-up production, and improve the overall quality of produce. This is particularly encouraging for farmers who want to make the leap from subsistence to commercial farming.

To support farming mechanization in Eastern Bhutan, the Bhutan Foundation and USAID supported a power tiller and other agriculture equipment to the Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative (SJI). The power tiller will be used for land preparation to promote vegetable, rice paddy, and oilseed cultivation in the Samdrup Jongkhar District. SJI is working with 30 urban farmers and 14 commercial farmers in Dewathang and Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde.

This activity is part of the Bhutan Foundation USAID- US Agency for International Development Economic Support Fund project. This project aims to increase local agricultural production in response to the negative economic impact made by the COVID-19 pandemic.