In the rolling hills of Khar Gewog, a quiet agricultural shift is underway. Once known mainly for vegetable cultivation, farmers here are now turning to commercial pineapple farming—and it is fast becoming a fruitful venture.
More than a hundred households have joined the movement, planting pineapples across several acres of land. For many, this is not their first encounter with the fruit, but it is the first time they are cultivating it on such a large scale.
Support Fuels Expansion
The initiative has gained momentum through government-backed cost-sharing schemes and support from organizations like the Tarayana Foundation. Farmers have received saplings and protection for their crops, which has encouraged them to think beyond subsistence farming.
Tshewang Choden, a farmer who began cultivating pineapples commercially two years ago, described the shift as transformative. “We used to grow just a few plants for our own use. But with support, we were encouraged to expand. Now the plants are fruiting, and I’ve already earned around two thousand ngultrums,” she said with optimism.
Promising Returns
For others, the rewards are just beginning to show. Kinzang Wangchuk recently harvested his first batch of 100 pineapples, some weighing over a kilogram. “Production will increase in winter. If the government continues supporting us, we plan to grow pineapples on every piece of land we own,” he said.
Farmers are not working in isolation. A growers’ group has been formed to supply their harvests to Bhutan Agro Industries in Monggar, signaling the beginning of organized commercial production and market linkages.
A Cash Crop in the Making
With success stories spreading, enthusiasm is rising across the gewog. Farmers like Sonam Chedon see pineapples as a secure investment. “The government gave us support free of cost and is also helping us protect the crop from wild animals. It has been very beneficial, so I plan to grow even more,” she said.
Local leader Tsheltrim Lhundup, the Khar-Yajur Tshogpa, shares this confidence. “We expect good returns from this crop. Once a pineapple matures, it continues producing. We’re optimistic it will soon bring steady income.”
Looking Ahead
What began as an additional source of income is now shaping into a primary livelihood for many. As more farmers expand their plantations and explore new markets, pineapples could soon emerge as the gewog’s signature cash crop.
For Khar’s farmers, each fruit represents more than just sweet produce—it is a promise of financial stability and a brighter agricultural future.
