In honor of His Majesty the Great Fourth’s 69th Birth Anniversary, SAMJONG Cooperative proudly unveiled its first Farmer Sales Outlet (FSO) at Samdrupcholing Drungkhag. The ceremony was attended by Dasho Drungpa, the Lam from Yenlag Dratshang, and other officials from the Dzongkhag and Drungkhag.

The SAMJONG Cooperatives, formed by entrepreneurs from 11 Gewogs under Samdrup Jongkhar, also known as Rural Youth Processing and Marketing Enterprise (RYPME), are set to operate three FSOs in total. Their primary goals are to provide marketing avenues and processing services within the Gewogs and Dzongkhag, as well as to streamline the export business in both national and international markets. Their products are branded under the IP-registered mark “SAMJONG”. Currently, SAMJONG Cooperatives offer 37 diverse products, with more innovative products in development.

The infrastructure for the FSO was funded by the Commercial Agriculture and Resilient Livelihoods Enhancement Programme (CARLEP-IFAD). Additionally, CARLEP has provided funding for various equipment and technology, including storage equipment, display shelves, and other processing tools, aimed at strengthening the local economy by promoting the formation of cooperatives.