Crops are often lost to wild animals and pests in Trong village in Zhemgang. Looking for an alternate source of income, a farmer in Trong village ventured into Shiitake mushroom cultivation. One year into it, Japha Dorji made his first harvest a few days ago.
Fifty-five-year-old Japha Dorji and his wife took their first harvest of Shiitake mushroom or Sokay Shamu to Zhemgang town.
They sold about 100 kilograms of Shiitake.
“Firstly, I am aiming to sell the produce in Zhemgang town. I will sell the mushroom at Nu 300 per kilogram,” said Japha Dorji.
Japha Dorji has 5,000 billets or logs of shiitake mushrooms. The couple will be harvesting the next yield after a few weeks. Though cultivating shiitake requires proper care with timely watering, he said it is easy to grow the mushroom. He hopes his hard work pays off.
“If we cultivate the mushroom appropriately, it is obvious that we can earn some income by selling our produce. However, we should also be aware of climate change as it might affect production. We have to take risks as we make investments and moreover we have to seek help from the Dzongkhag Administration,” said Japha Dorji.
He plans to upscale the production in the coming years.
Like him, there are seven households cultivating shiitake mushroom in Zhemgang.
To meet the demand for Shiitake in the market, the Dzongkhag Agriculture Office encourages farmers to grow shiitake.
Pema Samdrup, Zhemgang
Edited by Tshering Zam
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