His Excellency Sanam Lyonpo visited six eastern dzongkhag from 13th -22th April, 2022, primarily to monitor the ongoing preparatory work for the Royal Bhutan Flower Exhibition in Gyalpozhing and
CARLEP-related activities in the program areas and to take stock of knowledge and lessons learned from ongoing CARLEP activities for future planning and project design.

14Th April 2022 (Gyalpozhing & Saling Gewog): His Excellency visited the preparations sites for the Royal Bhutan Flower Exhibition in Gyalpozhing on April 14 and met with the people involved in the RBFE. His Excellency visited the flower nursery at ARD-SC Lingmethan on the same day. On the way to Gyalpozhing, Lyonpo also met with Desuups who are working on Kurizampa-Gyalpozhing road widening project.
His Excellency also visited the Kalapang mushroom spawn production site operated by Mr. Sonam
Gyeltshen, who took up this enterprise after availing skill training from ARDC. Towards evening, His Excellency and his entourage visited Jangdung Chilli production site and met with a group of farmers. On the way back to Mongar, His Excellency and entourage also visited Jamcholing Agriculture Land Development Site and met with the beneficiaries. A brief meeting was organised and during the meeting His Excellency highlighted on National food security and importance of growing potential crops for the domestic market to reduce dependency on imported vegetables.

15th April 2022 (Mongar Dzongkhag): His excellency and the entourage visited trailing youth group, phosorong dairy and kilikhar vegetable group, Warmakhar and Tsakaling Vegetable group. During the visit, Lynpo emphasized expanding acreage for increased local production to reduce dependence on imports.

16Th April 2022 (Lhuentse Dzongkhag): His Excellency graced the inaugural ceremonal of Agro food processing at Lingabi under Gangzur Gewog. The Director DOA, Lhuentse
Dzongdag, MoAF officials, local leaders and the community of Lingabi attended the inauguration. CARLEP assisted the youth enterprise in acquiring processing equipment and processing shed construction under CARLEP matching grant with a cost sharing of 60:40% (40% Grant). Hon’ble Lyonpo also visited the mixed vegetable farm in Uwa village where mixed vegetable cultivation is high and supported by ARDC under CARLEP funding and implemented by Tarayana. His Excellency instructed the relevant agency to market link the farm with Lingabi Agro-processing Unit for win-win solutions.
Later, His Excellency visited the Ngar vegetable group and met with 15 households who grow vegetables and supply to schools under the school and hospital feeding programme. On the same day, towards evening, His Excellency also visited the milk processing plant in Wangshing under Menjay Gewog and briefed the farmers about the importance of local production.

17Th April 2022 (Mongar & Trashiyangtse Dzongkhag): The Honorable Lyonpo paid a visit to Desuup Phub Gyelytshen’s oyster mushroom farm in Ngatshang. As part of the ARDC’s post-skilling program, CARLEP provided financial support to the mushroom farm on a cost-sharing basis.
Honorable Lyonpo also paid a visit to Yadi’s milk collection center, the Wopkhar irrigation canal renovation site, and met with dessups working in the Wangringmo irrigation water flagship project’s construction. Lynpo complimented the dessups for their unwavering support and dedication to TSA-WA-SUM during his interaction.

18Th April 2022 (Trashiyangtse Dzongkhag): His Excellency visited the Urka Bangala processing plant in Yangtse town, and the Regional Seed Center in Trashiyangtse, and advised the center to promote popcorn cultivation to substitute popcorn imports.
His Excellency then paid a visit to Buyang Integrated Farm. Lynpo also met with Desuup, who is working on a million fruit tree plantation project in Tongzhang Gewog and with Desup National Service on the Khangdari Godari Irrigation project in Yangneer Gewog. His Excellency conveyed his deep gratitude for their contributions to the nation through various National Services during the brief meeting.

19Th April 2022 (Trashigang Dzongkhag): His Excellency and his entourage paid a visit to Radi Gewog’s Chuthawoong vegetable farm and Yangneer Gewog’s Gongthung Milk Milk Collection Center. Lynpo graced the inauguration of the newly constructed MCC in Gongthung. The opening was attended by the Director of the Department of Agriculture, officials from the Ministry of Air Force, local leaders, and members of the Gongthung community. During the visits, His Excellency stressed the significance of commercializing organic vegetable production in order to attain food self-sufficiency, and advised farmers to take use of the CARLEP initiative to improve production and marketing. And also brief farmers of hiring farm machinery from FMCL.

The day came to an end with a visit to Chenari’s KIL.

20Th April 2022 (Trashigang & Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag): His Excellency and his entourage visited the ongoing LN2 construction site at RLDC Kanglung, ongoing cold storage construction site at Khaling and met with the contractor and site supervisor. Lyonpo also met with staff from Trashiyangphu Nublang Farm in Wamrong and dairy farmers of Orong.

Hon’ble Lyonpo and his entourage also met with Orong Desuups involved in National Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Program and expressed his gratitude for their dedication and commendable efforts for the national services for the benefit of the nation and its people.

21st April 2022 (Samdrupjongkhar & Pemagatshel Dzongkhag):His Excellency paid a visit to the Samdrupjongkhar Thromde Office and talked with Thromdey officials, followed by a visit to the CARLEP-supported Ginger Processing Plant. The ginger processing factory was expected to benefit the four Gewogs of Dewathang, Orong, Gomdar, and Samdrupcholing in terms of ginger supply, however the owner stated that he is experiencing a ginger scarcity and that the processing plant is still ideal. On this, His Excellency directed the Dzongkhag Agriculture Sector to quickly discuss and negotiate with FCBL to provide ginger to the processing plant so that it does not remain ideal and justifies the huge investment in plant construction.
His Excellency further directed that the correct ginger variety be found, one with a high oil content, as the variety now farmed by our farmers has a low oil content.

His Excellency and his entourage also paid a visit to Garpawoong’s Dewathang SJI Youth Lead Demonstration Farm. A total of 3 acres of dryland that had been fallow for several years has been revived and is now being planted with mustard and vegetables. A total of 24 young people have been engaged for OJT, internships, and voluntary work. Through CARLEP funding, 40 people have been trained as lead farmers and urban farmers .

In the afternoon, Hon’ble Lyonpo and his entourage paid a visit to Nanong’s Woongchelo dairy and vegetable groups. His Excellency met with a dairy and vegetable group, and emphasized the importance of food security, nutrition, import substitution, COVID 19 related measures, and CARLEP in Eastern Dzongkhags. His Excellency further stressed the importance of large-scale agricultural production for easy and collective marketing, stating that production must be planned according to market demand or market led production.

22nd April 2022 (Pemagatshel /Nganglam): His Excellency met with Sector Heads of Pemagatshel Dzongkhag and highlighted some of the government’s post-COVID-19 relieving plans and actions, as well as the current civil service reform. Later, His Excellency and his entourage traveled to Nganglam, where they met with Dungkhag officials, particularly the Dungkhag Engineer, and discussed the construction of the Nganglam vegetable market shed, which needs to be expedited. His Excellency and his team then proceeded to Trongsa via Panbang.

Reported by: Ugyen Wangdi, CM Agriculture, OPM