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Chudzom is one of the remotest gewogs (blocks) under Sarpang Dzongkhag (district) in southern Bhutan. It has 397 households (HHs) and a population of 4105 persons. More than 38% of the HHs are poor. With the entire area of the gewog falling in the mid-altitude range of 800-1800 masl, there is huge potential for both temperate and sub-tropical fruit crops like citrus, pear, peach, plum, guava, pomegranate, walnut, banana and passion fruits. The main challenge faced by the gewog is absence of road access. Recently, a farm road has been constructed till halfway (Lhayul in Maowgang) to the gewog which is pliable only during the winter seasons.

In 2012, the Agriculture Sector of Chudzom gewog organised farmers’ study tour to central and southern regions of the country with the objective to expose farmers to various improved technologies. Among the many study site visits, the Daga Shingdrey Tshogpa (Daga fruits group) of Dagapela in south-western Bhutan had attracted the attention of the farmers the most. The farmers of Dagapela cultivate passion fruit as a source of income and sell the fruits to the processing plant owned and managed by the Daga Shingdrey Tshogpa. The farmers from the visiting gewog did detail interviews with the members of the fruits group with the intention of adopting the technology of passion fruit production on trellises for large scale cultivation.

PASSION FRUIT INITIATIVES UNDER CHUDZOM

Thimphu, September 2014

CASE STUDY

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The farmers did not have to wait long to try their new found ideas. Rural Livelihood Project, supported by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation, invited proposals from farmers under the idea of supporting “Rural Development Initiatives”. These are initiatives that contribute towards increasing household income and can be technology interventions, enterprise development ideas or small scale infrastructure support. In the first year, two chiwogs/sub-blocks (Jangchubling & Dragchhu) covering 35 households proposed the idea for support under the project and participated in the cultivation of passion fruits. In 2013, another chiwog (Sherabling) joined and the total participating households increased from 35 to 55. The total area under passion fruit cultivation increased to 7.7 acres from 2.8 acres.

RNR extension provided technical support to install a trellis system to improve passion fruit production. The trellis system enabled the farmers to adopt double cropping in which farmers could grow cardamom underneath the trellis while others used it as shed for their cattle. An additional benefit of usage as cattle shed was the manure that has helped to increase the production of passion fruits.

What was done?

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In July 2014, the passion fruits were ready for harvest and marketing. Approximately 3.4 Metric Tonnes of passion fruits from 20 hhs were ready for marketing. However, there were several challenges that the farmers encountered: • Road access was yet to reach the

production areas and where the road had reached, parts of it were washed away.

• Small local market in Sarpang and Gelephu, the urban centers closest to the communities

• Fruits not ripening at one time but over a period of time, leading to insufficient load for a small pick-up truck per harvest.

• Wild animals destroying the plants and passion fruits.

• Bhutan Agro Industry, the potential client, interested to buy only if the products could be delivered to their processing plant.

• The option to store by taking out the pulp with seeds and storing in an air tight Jerry Can not advised by BAIL (thought to damage the sugar content and flavor of the juice.

The project intervened in the following ways: 1. Negotiated the price for the fruits with

the Bhutan Agro Industry in favor of the farmers

2. Mobilised harvesting and bulking of fruits through farmers group

3. Supported the transport cost from production area to the processing plant.

4. Suggested that the buyer try semi-processing (taking out the pulp with seeds and storing) of the fruits.

As a result, the fruits were sold and farmers earned cash income from a new crop they had decided to pilot. More farmers from the communities have joined in cultivating passion fruits. The agro industry has found semi-processing as a feasible method of storage without compromising on the quality of their final product.

What happened?

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• With the experience from the past year, increase production and production area to have sufficient volume to reduce transport cost.

• Engage the buyer to collect the product at the farm gate by increasing the volume of fruits to encourage buyers to do business with the farmers.

• Semi-processing is possible and will be implemented to facilitate storing for a longer period and also reduce the bulk of products to be transported, thereby reducing the transport cost and the waste products at the processing plant.

Sources of information 1. Karma Tenzin, AAEO, Chudzom Geog, August

2014, Chudzom Passion Fruit Promotional Program

2. Ugyen Lhendu, July 2014 PMU, Tour Report on Passion Fruit, Chudzom Gewog, Sarpang

3. Ugyen Lhendu, July 2014, Tour Report on

Passion Fruit, Chudzom Gewog, Sarpang

What will happen?

Programme Office, P.O. Box 157, Dungkar Lam

Lower Mothithang, Thimphu -11001, Bhutan Phone + 975 2 322870/327103, Fax +975 2 323210

www.bhutan.helvetas.org; email helvetas@druknet.bt