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| picture at T/yangtse, lundirichu irrigation scheme |
On
15th of October, 2016, eight members from IFAD reached Bhutan at
Samdrupjongkhar through Goahati route. They were received by a team from CARLEP
and the Programme Directors of both ARDC and CARLEP.
The
mission from IFAD was comprised of two teams, one was MAGIP PCR Validation
Mission and other was CARLEP Supervision Mission. They had four members in each
team.
MAGIP
is Market Access and Growth Intensification Project that served the six Eastern
Dzongkhags of the country for the last five years which is now followed-up by a
new project called CARLEP. CARLEP is Commercial Agriculture and Resilient
Livelihoods Enhancement Programme. It was launched in March this year and it’s
a seven years Programme. CARLEP will also cater to the same six Dzongkhags at
its initial phase. Both MAGIP and CARLEP are financed by IFAD.
IFAD
has been in Bhutan for the last 35 years, financing to over eight consecutive
projects. Thus, Bhutan and IFAD has a strong and old unbreakable tie.
Well,
about the mission visit, the team stayed in the country for more than half a
month, from 15th October till 2nd of November, 2016.
During this stay, MAGIP PCR Validation team has deposited whole of their time
in validating the Project Completion Report while CARLEP Supervision team has
been fielding some of the programme sites.
Since
the mission arrival till their departure, both the visitor team and the
recipient team has been fully engaged in carrying out the scheduled activities,
not even sparing the weekends. That package of time was exhausting where you
had to get up early in the morning, travel the whole day in the bumpy roads of
Bhutan into the dust from road widening, walking into the farmers farms under
the scorching sun, getting late for the dinner but never mind it was such a
great experience, getting the real taste of the village life. We learnt a lot.
And more than us the Bhutanese, the IFAD missions must had lots of messages to
take back at home.
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| CARLEP PD with Mission member and senior staff |
The
fielding team had a good composite with four experienced IFAD members, skilled
at different subjects. Mr. Tom Anyonge was the team leader. He was such a
gentle man but very particular when coming to the field work. He was humorous
and full of laughter.
Madam
Wafaa who was the Technical Advisor was very critical and sensitive with works.
She was very interactive that she didn’t left any person unattended. She was
very committed to work that even in the vehicle, she wanted a new seat mate so
that she can discuss and interact regarding the works with everyone.
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| Mr. Tom, Ms. Paksina and Mam. Wafaa at Pun |
Ms.
Paksina, the Climate change specialist was most clever and the intelligent. She
was very good in puzzle games. She was also young and energetic and was highly
committed to work. She had such a cute laughter. I really admired her.
Mr.
Rajendra, the Programme Director of HVAP at Nepal was silent most of the time
but when he speak, his speech was full of wisdom. Everything he said was in
comparison with Nepal. And we found out that Nepal and Bhutan has almost
similar situations and the systems. He was a soft spoken and he had a great
faith in Buddhism.
Well,
the team’s first field visit was to Cold Storage of Samdrupjongkhar in the FCBL
complex. The cold storage was built under MAGIP with IFAD’s financing. The
storage has a capacity of 100MT with five chambers. The storage will mainly be
used to store the perishable farm products.
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| Structure description to the visitors by manager of cold storage |
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| Cold storage at Samdrupjongkhar at FCBL Complex |
On
17th, the team visited the bulb onion growers at Phuntshothang
village of Samdrupjongkhar. Farmers there are growing bulb onion in an
intensified area. Seeds and technical support is provided from the Geog
Extension agents and ARDC.
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| Meeting Bulb Onion growers at Phuntshothang |
On
the same day, the team also visited Phuntshothang Agriculture Rehabilitation
Project (PARP). PARP began in September 2014 with the aim to utilise fallow
government land through mechanization and commercialization, beginning with 662
acres.
ARDC
has been supporting the project with TAs as required in the crops the project
is promoting (maize, paddy, drumstick, mustard etc). Phuntshothang is the area
under CARLEP commercialization site. Thus, the successful concepts and
activities of PARP has the possibility of replication under CARLEP.
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| At PARP |
The
last site the IFAD mission and the team visited today was at National
Integrated Livestock Farm at Samrang geog of Samdrupjongkhar.
The
farm has started from 2015 in a total allocated area of 814 Acres, funded by
RGoB. Today, many of the infrastructures are under construction. The management
is done by DoL. The
farm has an integration of heifer cow, buffalo, pig, poultry and fishery.
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| Meeting with the EA at National Integrated Farm of Samrang |
On 18th October, the team visited
isited Dairy Group at Orong geog of Samdrupjongkhar. 36HHs are involved in milk
production and marketing in this group. In a day, the group sells about 600
litres of milk out of which almost 80% market is at border town.
MAGIP has supported the group in terms of the
equipment worth of Nu. .25 Million excluding the capacity development trainings
for the group committee members.
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| Meeting with Orong Dairy Group |
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| Members of Dairy Group demonstrating the silage preparation |
On
19th October, the team visited Lugdiri Irrigation Scheme at
Tongzhang geog of Trashiyangtse Dzongkhag. The 13 km irrigation canal was
constructed in 3 phases. The 3rd phase was constructed under MAGIP
support. However, the irrigation scheme require major renovation due to several
breakdown of the walls and the pipes due to landslides.
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| Lungdirichu Irrigation scheme |
On 20th October, IFAD
mission and the team made visited Ngarpongtong Chiwog in Thangrong geog.
Ngarpongtong has a total of 48 households. It is the 1st climate smart village
of Mongar Dzongkhag that will be supported by CARLEP under targeted
intervention.
The main purpose of fielding
the mission members to the village was to showcase some CSA technologies,
permaculture design, principles and practices of biogas technologies. The pilot
initiative under CARLEP called 'Climate Smart Village' was started by a team
from ARDC and the CMs of CARLEP by involving the community through Participatory
Action Planning. However, the village was identified jointly by Dzongkhag and
the Geog.
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| Farmers of Climate smart Village, Ngarpongtang under Mongar Dzongkhag |
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| Mr. Tom with the people of CSV |
On 22nd
October, CARLEP IFAD mission and the team visited Commercial farm at Khalangzi,
mongar Dzongkhag. The farm of 8.83 acres is own by Mr. Lhawang Norbu, the ex
Dzongrab of Chukha Dzongkhag.
His
5 acres of land is developed assisted by ARDC. And has planted fruit trees. 60
avocado trees are provided by ARDC so far under CARLEP funding. The main
purpose of taking the mission to his farm is to take his farm as a modal
commercial farm so that other farmers can do the replication.
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| Meeting with Dasho Lhawang, commercial farmer at Mongar |
The
2nd site the team visited Yendhen Integrated Horticulture farm at
Saling geog of Mongar Dzongkhag. The farm is owned by individual proprietor
called Mr. Yeshi Wangchuk. He is doing the farm along with his four permanent
employees under him in an area of 4.5 acres.
He
has started the farm operation in 2015 with mango and avacado saplings
purchased from NSC, Paro. But due to some transportation shocks, the plants
couldn't survive. Therefore, he had to replace all the plants with the support
from Dzongkhag and ARDSC. Today in his farm, he has mango plants, avocado,
litchi and dragon fruits. He is getting help for the farm management from
ARDSC, Lingmethang.
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| Mission meeting with Mr. Yeshi, owner of a horticulture farm |
The 3rd site the IFAD
mission and the team also visited the semi- Commercial Dairy farm at Jangdung
village of Saling geog under Mongar Dzongkhag. The farm is owned by Ms.
Tshering Yangdon along with her 3 children. They have a total of 23 cattle
heads and a breeding bull.
Ms. Tshering has first started
the business with the fund from BOF (Business Opportunity Fund) under AMEPP at
her own village called Tridangbi. She received 10 cows for free while the cost
for the shed has borne by herself.
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| Cattles of Ms. Tshering |
The 4th site IFAD
mission and the team visited the Integrated Fruit Processing Plant at
Lingmethang, Mongar Dzongkhag. This IFPP is the sub-unit of National Post
Harvest Centre (NPHC) located at Paro. The unit has processed several items of
cereals, vegetables and fruits led by Ms. Kinley Wangmo and three other staffs.
In the center, they have
several processing equipment and the utensils. They provide their services and
the facilities to the farmers who are willing to process their stuffs.
The mission and the team
suggested the center that they can work on proper packaging and the reasonable
pricing.
Following are the various items processed by the post harvest sub centre with the use of local farm produce.
The field visit was followed
by the Stakeholders workshop on 25th October at ARDC, Wengkhar. In
the workshop, all the stakeholders especially the DAO, DLO and the Extension
staffs were called-in to have the final consultation of MAGIP and to draw the
lessons to take for CARLEP.
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| Stakeholders of MAGIP and CARLEP |
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| Stakeholders meeting at ARDC, Wengkhar |
The final event of the mission
visit progarmme to the country was the joint wrap-up meeting on 31st
October at Thimphu. The wrap-up meeting which was to be chaired by the Hon’ble
Minister of MoAF was chaired by Hon’ble Secretary. It was participated by the
heads of the relevant Departments. The final PCR of MAGIP and the Aide Memoire
for CARLEP was presented in the meeting, marking the closer of MAGIP and
opening of CARLEP.
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| Hon'ble Secretary in the center |
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| Wrap-up meeting inside Hotel Migmar |
Thus, on 2nd
November, 2016, the IFAD mission members left the country, leaving us with lots
of memories and lots of wisdom, touching many Bhutanese hearts.
So,
until next mission for CARLEP maybe by June, 2017, we wish them a very good
luck. Oh yes, before they leave, they also made informal visit to some of our
historic sites, one at Punakha Dzong and other at Tigress nest called Taktshang
at Paro.
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| Takshang, Tigress Nest at Paro |
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| Mr.Tom and I |
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| Punakha Dzong |
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| Mr. Deep Joshi |
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| Mr. Tom Anyonge |
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^^^Thanking you for dropping by^^^
In the follow-up blog, i will share my personal experience out of such field visits. So, please keep following.
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