The 13th Five-Year Plan will build 24 new irrigation channels

YK Puddle

The government plans to add 24 new irrigation projects during the 13th Five-Year Plan period to address water shortages, which means the total number of water projects will reach 83 by 2029.

The Department of Agriculture (DoA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MoAL) has allocated N343.671 billion for the construction of new water channels for the fiscal year 2024-2025.

Agriculture Minister Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho made the announcement during a question-and-answer session at the National Council (NC) yesterday.

Punakha MP Namgay Dorji raised the issue and said Farmers in several dzongkhags have been struggling with water shortages, which have affected rice cultivation and forced farmers to leave their fields fallow. “Shortage of irrigation water will affect the country’s food security and self-sufficiency goals,” he said.

According to the 2023 National Land Use Zoning Report, there are more than 66,000 acres of fallow land in the country.

The 83 water projects, spanning 618 kilometres and covering 17,000 acres, will benefit more than 8,000 households in 17 dzongkhags, Liongpo said.

“The government will build 24 irrigation canals covering 4,000 acres during the 13th Five-Year Plan to address the shortage of irrigation water,” he said. “This will help more than 3,000 households.”

Leonpo said the ministry is setting up an integrated potato processing facility in Wangdou and plans to expand it in Bumthang and the eastern region. “These initiatives are aimed at improving agricultural productivity and processing efficiency.”

Sarban MP Pema Tashi asked the minister about the criteria for selecting these project areas.

Leonpo said the projects will be selected based on the number of farmers involved in agricultural activities, the need for water channels and their feasibility. “The focus is not only on irrigation channels and their management, but also on smart irrigation in the long term.”

Bhutan’s agricultural output has been declining for years, with the country’s production of the staple grain at 70,168 metric tons in 2022.

The 2022 Bhutan Comprehensive Census of Agriculture and Livestock showed that the production of major cereals decreased compared to 2021, with rice, maize, wheat, buckwheat, barley and millet being the main cereals grown.

Census data also show that a large proportion of farmers are aged 65 and above, with women overrepresented in the age group below 54.