Agriculture and food in Bhutan

Agriculture in Bhutan

Agriculture in Bhutan has a dominant role to play both as the country's main export and input for many other industries. The majority of that 80% who are involved directly or indirectly with farming, work on rice fields which makes up 95%. Other crops grown include maize/corn (5%) wheat & barley varieties too! Agriculture is the lifeblood of Bhutan, accounting for 35% of GDP in 2000. However, since then it has declined steadily due to globalization and trade liberalization which have led many farmers into poverty despite their country's isolationist policies that keep them away from foreign competition. The small size and low productivity levels mean most people depend on agriculture as their primary means of sustenance; labor-intensive methods are common across all sectors except horticulture where energy requirements limit its suitability. Despite this agricultural laborers often live at or near subsistence level thanks largely because high input costs make large scale commercial production unfeasible without heavy government subsidies.

Bhutan is an agricultural nation with 21% wetland (irrigated) in use to grow rice, approximately 43% are dryland, nearly 27% are used for the cultivation of other plants. Paddy is the staple crop in Bhutan, but it's not the only one. Other crops like wheat and barley are also cultivated to make sure that enough food will always be available for citizens of this country. In Bhutan, the country's forests are a source of livestock fodder. In addition to growing crops like wheat barley oilseeds potato maize diverse vegetables, maize is cultivated mainly at lower elevations where there isn't much rainfall. Bhutan's agriculture is a forward-thinking, holistic system that strives for self sufficiency in food production. The key goals of this program are to increase productivity and profitability by using modern techniques such as orchard cultivation. Agriculture in Bhutan is hindered due to the lack of adequate irrigation and terrain. Despite these obstacles, output has increased for cash crops such as apple orange and cardamom. The government of Bhutan has announced that they will be the first country in world to use 100% organic farming and is working with IFOAM for qualification.

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Rice production in Bhutan

Rice production in Bhutan plays an important role in food supply in Bhutan. It is cultivated largely for domestic consumption. In a country where 79% of the population is engaged in agriculture. Rice production in Bhutan has increased by 58% since 1989. The most important growing areas are Samtse which holds the highest rice-growing capacity at 2 889 ha followed closely by Sarpang's 1 612 hectares according to an assessment of 2006 data collected during field research conducted on behalf of government agencies responsible for supervising farming practices across all ten districts within this nation's borders. In Bhutan, rice is a necessary food for all people. It makes up 60% of the country's caloric intake and it can be found at every meal from breakfast until dinner time with red japonica being its most popular variety among citizens who consume well over 6 thousand metric tonnes annually according to Singay Dukpa , Deputy Managing Director in Charge Food Corporation Of Bhutan .