Famine looms large on Gozhi in absence of rain

Gozhips in Dagana harvest more than 40 tons of Maize every year. Gozhips will hardly harvest five or six tons of Maize this year. That is easily not… good news. Farmers in the gewog are deeply worried the unusually long hiatus in rainfall is a prelude to an approaching famine in the land. Maize is the main staple food for Gozhi gewog, and this year they were sundried. “The scorching heat dries up the crop and we worry that soon famine may prevail in the Gewog,” said Gozhi Gup Prem Kumar Dahal. Lower part of Gozhi gewog, Balaygang, Lower Dokap and Lower Gozhi are tremendously affected and the water sources have all dried up. Middle and upper part of Gozhi weren’t struck as bad as Gozhi, but the yield in the maize production would definitely decrease this year. People in Gozhi gewog said that last year they had a poor orange harvest and this year they foresee a worse maize production. “We need some insurance policy for farmers as an aid from the Government for a sustainable living,” said the Gup.