Kurtoed gewog has intensively carry out Agricultural Land Development for a total of 43.152 acres of land which includes 13.07 acreage coverage for Wetland Consolidation, 7.224 for dryland terracing and 22.858 for surface stone collection. 20 acres of the total area were revived from fallow land that had been deemed non-feasible for farming due to the presence of rocks and a rugged topography.

27 households in all benefited from the initiative. Currently, cereals like paddy, buckwheat, millet, and maize are produced on the developed land for self-consumption along with vegetables like chili, brinjal, broccoli, and spinach. The farmers plan to sell the surplus at the local market.

Farmers anticipate better harvests this year because they were able to cultivate fallow land to its full potential unlike in the past. Farmers also mentioned how much simpler it has been for them to work on their fields now that farm machinery like power tillers are a viable option for tilling the soil.

With the ALD having a noticeable impact, the 20 HHs in Chazam, Kurtoe gewog, which cover an area of 30 acres, are also looking forward to receiving funding for the ALD.

For the ALD, the project supported the machine hiring (excluding fuel), while the beneficiaries covered the fuel costs, accommodation for the operators and food.

Reported by: Chhimi Lhamo, GKMO, OPM