After years of tending orchards that yielded little in return, hazelnut growers in Bumthang are finally beginning to see their patience pay off. Production is rising across several communities, giving farmers renewed confidence in a crop they had once begun to doubt.
Hazelnut cultivation was introduced in the district more than a decade ago, with farmers planting saplings from around 2013 in the hope of developing a dependable source of income. However, the anticipated harvests were slow to materialise, and many orchards continued to produce only small quantities of nuts even after years of care.
The prolonged period of low production eventually discouraged some growers from maintaining their orchards. But interventions aimed at improving pollination and orchard management are now beginning to change the situation.
The Hazelnut Regional Office supplied farmers with polliniser saplings and carried out grafting programmes to improve pollination and fruiting. Farmers say the difference has become increasingly visible over the past few years.
“The office started supplying male tree saplings, and a few years later, the other trees started producing nuts. These fruiting trees are the ones they supplied later. It has made a lot of difference after implementing these ideas,” said Sangay, a farmer in Choekhor Gewog.
For Nagphay, a farmer in Chumey Gewog, the improving harvest has made the years of maintaining the orchard more encouraging.
“It is a happy moment for us. The company has made a significant investment, and it has helped us improve production. The officials also visit us and advise us to clear the grass. We followed their advice accordingly. If the production continues to improve every year, it would definitely benefit farmers like us,” Nagphay said.
The change is particularly significant for growers who are beginning to see hazelnuts develop into a viable source of household income.
At the current buying price of Nu 150 per kilogram, a productive orchard can provide farmers with substantial returns. Some growers say the income is already reducing their dependence on other forms of employment.
“I am very happy. Now, I don’t have to work for others, and I don’t have to wait until the end of the month to receive a salary like civil servants. The income I earn from hazelnuts can cover my expenses for the whole year. So, I do not have any regrets. Instead, I feel very happy,” said Tashi Norbu, a farmer in Tang Gewog.
For others, the increase is more gradual but nonetheless promising.
Pema Tshomo, also from Tang Gewog, said her earnings have steadily improved as her trees have begun bearing more nuts.
“Before last year, I harvested only half a kilogram and earned Nu 50. Last year, I earned Nu 490. So, this year, I am expecting to earn more. I am also hoping that the production will continue to increase every year without any harm,” she said.
Some farmers are now expecting significantly larger harvests. Thinley Phuntsho, another grower in Tang, hopes to collect more than 100 kilograms this year.
“The production is always increasing. This year, most of the plants started producing fruit, which was not the case last year. Even the small plants in the upper field have started producing, and I am hoping the production will double by next year,” he said.
Despite the encouraging signs, the years of poor yields have left their mark on hazelnut cultivation in the district.
Of the 483 households registered with the Hazelnut Regional Office in Bumthang, only 335 are currently active. Officials say several farmers stopped maintaining their orchards after losing confidence when their trees repeatedly failed to produce as expected.
More than 100 households are currently harvesting hazelnuts, and officials are hoping that improved production and continued support will encourage more growers to return to their orchards.
Beyond supplying polliniser trees and carrying out grafting, the office has supported farmers with water supply, manure and other orchard-management inputs. Measures have also been introduced to reduce losses caused by birds and wild animals.
Financial and equipment support is being provided to encourage growers to regularly maintain their fields.
“Firstly, we have an incentive programme where farmers can participate in a free lottery based on their production. Secondly, we also provide grass-cutting machines to help them maintain their orchards. In addition, we pay Nu 3,000 per acre for grass cutting, which farmers are required to carry out three times a year,” said Dechen Pelden, Operation Head of the Hazelnut Regional Office in Bumthang.
For Bumthang’s growers, the improving yields have changed the outlook of a crop that demanded more than a decade of patience. While production is still developing and many orchards have yet to reach their full potential, farmers who stayed with their trees are beginning to see tangible returns.
With more trees now bearing nuts and harvests increasing from year to year, growers are hopeful that hazelnuts could finally become the dependable source of income they envisioned when the first saplings went into the ground more than a decade ago.
