In the fertile valleys of Punakha, there is no pause in the rhythm of farm life. Even as spring yields to summer, fields in Khilikhar-Lungkha Chiwog of Dzomi Gewog are alive with activity: rows of vibrant green cucumber vines stretching as far as the eye can see. Here, more than sixty households have turned cucumber cultivation into a year-round endeavor, supplementing their incomes and sustaining their families through the leaner months of paddy planting.
Fifty-three-year-old Namgay Zam rises before dawn each day to tend her fifty-decimal plot in Lungkha village. “Harvesting isn’t easy,” she admits, fingers stained pale green from the tiny hairs on each fruit. Yet, after selling thirty sacks at local markets and occasionally trucking produce to Thimphu, she’s already pocketed roughly Nu 50,000—and the best of the season is yet to come. “Prices are high now,” she says, “but they usually slide later. If we can keep these rates, I’ll plant even more next season.”
Market prices currently hover between Nu 80 and 100 per kilogram, attracting buyers straight to farmers’ doorsteps. In years past, when illness confined farmer Tandin Wangmo to bed, she planted barely twenty-five decimals. This spring, however, she doubled her acreage—and, buoyed by favorable rates, she plans an even larger expansion next year. “This income helps cover all our expenses before the rice fields start,” she explains. “It’s become indispensable.”
Yet success is uneven. Last season, Namgay Pem netted Nu 270,000 after expenses; this year, she’s struggled to move her crop, earning only Nu 60,000 so far. “We can’t blame the price,” she says, “but our local market is small.” Many growers load trucks bound for the capital, hoping to find better demand. Their optimism often hits a wall upon arrival: official vendor stalls in Thimphu are few, and those without stall fees are relegated to remote corners. Namgay Lham recalls three farmers’ fruitless day of selling: “They sent us where no customers came. It was so discouraging—we felt invisible.”
Despite these hurdles, the community’s commitment remains undiminished. Cucumber saplings go into the ground each January, and harvest begins in mid-April, continuing through June. For families juggling childcare, schooling and the ever-variable costs of fertilizer, each vine represents a lifeline. The modest green cucumber has become more than a summer crop—it’s a symbol of resilience, ingenuity and the tenacity of Punakha’s farmers, planting hope along with every seed.
