A mother and her daughter looked
weary to harvest vegetables. Even if they did it would take them quite a time
to move the vegetables to a road point to be sold to a buyer. But the income
from selling those vegetables will help send back the daughter to school.
They live in a small old house
typically made of mud and wood. It is under Gaeserling geog in Dagana Dzongkhag.
The nearest market is in Dagapela which is 15 kilometers of feeder road away
from their place. Hiring taxi is their only means of transportation to get their
little goods to the market which will cost them more than they would earn.
The mother is overjoyed and has
prepared some wine from the fermented wheat for the buyer as a gratitude. The
buyer has come to her house to buy the vegetables from her. She then gets hold
of sickle and a bamboo basket for the harvest. The daughter follows suit. She
keeps smiling. May be she knew she’s a chance of going back to the school.
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| The mother and daughter harvesting vegetables |
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| From L-R: The daughter, mother, CEO of FreshVeg and differently-abled uncle |
The buyer then adds his helpers
into the labour to carry the vegetables to the road point. The mother has
called his differently-abled brother to help carry the load. When the
vegetables are loaded into the truck the buyer takes out four clean notes of
Nu. 500. She makes two grand. She takes a deep sigh and bows down to the buyer
for the income.
Such is the story that FreshVeg
is making it possible. It is a recently established vegetable marketing and
supply chain to promote local vegetables in the country. Their mission is to
make every farmers earn from growing vegetables. It’s a business entity founded
on social responsibility.
A young promoter is behind this
concept of supply chain. Lobzang Dorji, 32, is on the run to uplift our farmers
from the poverty through growing vegetables. “I have mortgaged everything to
get some finance from Bhutan Development Bank Ltd. to make this dream
possible,” he said.
The supply chain works on a
contact farming mode. The farmers grow what the buyer wants. The buyer then
fulfills the demands of the market. Such system has more certainty than chance.
“It’s a basic principle of demand
and supply,” said Khampa, the CEO of the company, “but organized through a
supply chain.”
What makes it stronger is the
fact that government agencies are supporting the cause. The Department of
Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives (DAMC) has signed a Letter of Agreement
with the company underlining all efforts of marketing the local vegetables. The
support comes in the form of transportation subsidy, storage facilities, policy
intervention, and promotion through media.
The question of what vegetable
are grown in our country, where and when are all complied by Horticulture
Division under Department of Agriculture which helps the company by sharing the
expected production figures of the vegetables in various Dzongkhags.
“Farmers are our main drivers,”
explains CEO, “if they grow variety of vegetables then our supply chain is
complete since we have the government agencies participating in the chain.”
But where the chain ends?
“Obviously it ends with the consumers,” Khampa said.
“If the consumers buy from us,
then they are indirectly helping hundreds of farmers earn from growing
vegetables,” he added.
However, the perception in the
market is that local vegetables are expensive.
“Not anymore!” stated the CEO,
carrying the plastic crate full of local tomatoes grown first time in Sershong
in Sarpang and shelving for display.
“Price is not an issue if the
consumers buy from us. For the first time we’re offering local vegetables at lower
price. Even lower than the retail price of the imported vegetables. It’s a good
deal!"
FreshVeg provides door-to-door
delivery services without charging a penny.
But challenges in supply chain
come as a hard blow to the initiative.
“There is no much variety in
local vegetables,” lamented the CEO, “and this is the weakest link in our
supply chain.”
The lack of variety has affected
the whole system of supply chain. Adding salt to injury is the lack of
technology for post-harvest handling of vegetables and transporting them
through a cold-chain. As a result the business is struggling to penetrate the
vegetable market. The few local vegetables do not complete a consumer’s demand.
These vegetables collected from various geogs and remote places are going to
waste if consumers do not come to rescue. This will repudiate the farmers’
expectation to have an income to get out of destitution.
“But we are working with our
stakeholders to address this issue. They must do more to make this initiative a
success.
“I suggest turning this whole
initiative into a public private partnership (PPP) mode which will guarantee to
address all loopholes in the supply chain.
“Then come summer, we will have
variety of local vegetables,” said the CEO.
But for now, he has one appeal.
