The Marketing Component under CARLEP piloted the linkage of trader with vegetable production groups Bakaphai and Singye at Ballam consisting of 17 and 23 members respectively (all women) under Mongar Dzongkhag post IFAD Supervision mission recommendation. The approach was initiated with an intent to provide vegetable producers the assured market at pre-agreed commodity-wise farm-gate rates and streamline the vegetable marketing chain. Under the model, the production by groups was purely based on the identified trader’s demand and it was agreed that the trader will buy the vegetables from the groups during the time of harvest making the chain purely market driven.

Accordingly, the identified trader on 1st August 2018 started buying the vegetable produce from the focused groups as agreed on a predetermined rates. The transaction under the arrangement included over 2.00 mT of vegetables comprising of cabbage, beans, carrots and potatoes for which the farmers were paid more than Nu. 30, 000.00 (Thirty thousand only). The event directly benefited 40 HHs along with 3 additional farmers (2 female and 1 male) from outside of the focused groups who also took opportunity to market their vegetables.

During the operation, the need to identify two separate collection points for two groups was strongly felt where in the long run, if the arrangement continues to be successful a collection shed with storage facilities can also be established. Further, the farmers need to be provided with hands on handling and post-harvest management training to improve the quality of the produce.