Bhutan’s organic vision: hitting a wall?

YK Puddle

The National Organic Flagship Program (NOFP) of Bhutan was launched in 2019 to realize the vision of organic agriculture in Bhutan, but the program has not yet started.

The plan, which was initially budgeted at Nu 1 billion and is being managed by the Prime Minister’s Office, is currently in an uncertain stage. The public is concerned about the effective use of the Nu 1 billion budget.

Due to the re-prioritization during the pandemic, only N525 million was approved for use across all regions and projects. Of this, the Ministry of Agriculture raised only N357.43 million for expenditure, which is only 68% for the entire five-year period.

A Kuhnsel source said the multi-departmental nature of the project led to weak project implementation controls, slow implementation, and low budget utilization for project partners. “The agencies were focused on their own priorities, which could have been focused on one identified area to better impact the community.”

The situation has been exacerbated by changes in government plans and programmes, inadequate funding and the need to reprioritize several projects.

The ambitious goal is to become the world’s first 100% organic country by 2020.

Sangay Tashi, team leader of Jo Langri Gonor Detshen, said their team started the activity five years ago as a small business. “There are 26 families involved in the business. We produce dairy products and vegetables. However, it is difficult to sell vegetables due to market factors,” he said.

Pema Tenzing, Neynobdsen’s representative in Lenzi, said the 12-member group was in trouble. “Before, we grew vegetables and sold them on a small scale. The organic program to support mustard oil production was started two years ago. Mustard seed production does not seem to be improving.”

“The government initially supported the construction of a house where we installed machinery for producing mustard oil. However, there were doubts about the turnover,” he said.

Kesang Tshomo, organic industry development adviser at the Nigerian National Forestry Authority, said organic targets include food crops, livestock and forest products, with coordinated plans and investments, not just vegetables. “However, while plans and targets are for organic farming, investments have not kept pace. As a result, targets are shifted because it takes time to develop plans when investment funds are available.”

“There is a demand for vegetables, preferably organic, but buyers are not willing to pay premium prices for these produce. The passage of time does not help achieve the goal,” she said.

Kesan Jomo said that compared with achieving the organic goal, food security is the top priority. Without the government’s promotion or the market’s pull, farmers cannot take responsibility for achieving the national goal.

Due to limited time and conditions, only about 377 million Ngultrum was spent during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Between 2019 and 2023, Bhutan invested Nu 97 million and sold 1,418 metric tons of agricultural products worth Nu 167 million in Bhutan.

Today, Bhutan has only four internationally certified products, namely lemongrass oil, edible flowers, ginger and blue pine essential oils. In addition, 65 products are certified according to Bhutan’s organic standards.

Kesanzomo said that Bhutan’s geographical indication program has just been launched, focusing on the origin and unique quality of the products.

“The farming community has not benefited from the organic subsidy and would not be able to afford it if they had to pay for certification, which is currently supported by the Ministry of Agriculture.” The area currently under organic management is 14,100 acres,” she said.

Farmers’ groups

and cooperatives

According to DAMC, there are currently 110 agricultural cooperatives and 696 farmer groups involved in organic production and marketing in the country, of which 415 are farmer groups and 23 are agricultural cooperatives. “Export revenue from chilli, beans and cauliflower was about N269 million, exceeding the flagship target,” a report noted.

Bhutan aims to fully adopt organic farming and stop using harmful chemicals. However, it still needs to import fertilizers and pesticides to promote the production of basic food and cash crops and ensure food security and income.

Bhutan started promoting organic farming in 2003, followed by the institutionalization of the National Organic Farming Framework of Bhutan (NFOFB) in 2007 and the establishment of the NOP in 2008.

In 2012, the ministry launched the Organic Master Plan and developed a strategic roadmap for organic agriculture during the 12th Five-Year Plan period.

Kailash Pradhan, project director at the National Centre for Organic Agriculture, said the National Organic Farming Programme (NOFP) has been phased out but the National Centre for Organic Agriculture has long had the role of supporting organic farming but mandating the farming community to adopt organic farming is not possible. “No special budget has been allocated for the organic project. Nu 10 M has been proposed for standardisation and certification.”

“It is a challenge for Bhutan to meet the demands of the international market, as it is not possible to produce products that meet the demand, specifications and certification standards of importing countries,” he said. “However, we strive to supply as many products as possible in the domestic market and abroad. Bhutanese products are certified in accordance with the international standards of IFOAM.”

He said the Bhutan Organic Agriculture Committee has been working hard to meet the challenges of achieving Bhutan’s vision for organic agriculture in coordination with other departments and agencies. “The private sector involved in the entire process is a key driver for its success.”

Similarly, Norden Lepcha, chief agricultural officer of the Bhutan National Cultivated Land Association, said Bhutan has the potential to achieve this vision with the right investments in the 3% of cultivable land.

“To achieve this vision, there is a need for investment in biofertilizers, biopesticides, hybrid seeds, farmer incentives and research,” he said.