During the Question Hour session of National Assembly yesterday, Opposition Leader Dr Pema Gyamtsho asked the government on how many new farms have been established to meet the sheer rise in the production of various agricultural and livestock products, as reported during Prime Minister’s Mid Term Review (MTR) meetings.
OL said that huge increases were noted in cheese production in Bumthang, from 414,000 numbers in 2012 to 1,313,000 in 2015, which is equivalent to 317 percent increase, and in Trongsa from 104,00 to 1,199,995 in 2015, and similarly egg production in Zhemgang from 591,00 in 2012 to 2.3 m in 2015, equivalent to 399 percent increase.
Following the questions, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said that the government has been concentrating on going self sufficient in dairy products and various initiatives are being carried out to that aim. PM said about 90 percent has been achieved.
“The internal production today meets little less than the domestic demands for dairy products, like milk,” he said.
According to PM, the success in dairy and poultry sector is partly attributed to farmers around the country who come together to form many groups. Group formation is also deemed as an integral component of effective production and management of dairy and dairy products.
The burgeoning numbers of dairy groups and cooperatives in the country has immensely helped take the dairy sector to the next level.
PM said that the government also concentrates in breeding improved local cattle to advance the dairy breed improvement and enhance the livestock production for self-sufficiency.
As per livestock statistics report 2013, there are more than 112 dairy farmers groups across the country and more than 45 milk collection centers as of September 2011.
Citing a few successful stories of dairy farms in the country, PM said that from last year, the Orong milk cooperative in Samdrupjongkhar has started exporting 345 tons of milk and generated an income of Nu 14 mn.
In the poultry front, PM said that if the country is to achieve self- sufficiency in egg production, then about 92 million eggs should be produced annually. From 57 million eggs produced in the past, now the country can produce 60 million eggs in a year.
And to enhance the poultry sector, PM said that government has established a poultry farm in Relangthang in Sarpang where 18,000 fledglings will be produced, and similarly in Samrang, 26,000 fledglings are to be produced. About 11million eggs is expected to be produced in the two farms annually.