Agriculture and Forests

In Bhutan, SNV's Agriculture programmes strengthen the position of smallholder farmers, supporting them to access markets with better crops or products through the following programmes:

•  Off-Season Vegetables: This programme aims to increase incomes of at least 1500 households in 6 districts by 5-15% and link around 60 cooperatives to the market by 2014. Under the IFAD-funded Market Access and Growth Intensification Project (MAGIP), SNV provides advisory services to the Supply Chain and Market Development Component, led by the Regional Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives Office (RAMCO). Key strategy is to increase production and improve joint marketing of vegetables when the vegetable production is low and prices are high in both domestic and Indian markets.

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•  Non-Timber Forest Products: SNV supports this pilot at Lauri geog of Samdrup Jongkhar district under the IFAD-funded Market Access & Growth Intensification Project (MAGIP) in which eight NTFP groups sustainably manage and harvest NTFPs. The target is to raise incomes of at least 400 households by an estimated USD 55 by mid-2014. SNV supports geog-level NTFP management plans, sustainable harvesting guidelines and enrichment planting guidelines. SNV also supports the strengthening of NTFP groups and their marketing opportunities. Opportunities for scaling-up this approach to the rest of Samdrup Jongkhar and Pemagatsel districts are currently being assessed. 

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• Cooperative Sector Development: Cooperatives and farmers’ groups are essential to facilitate marketing in a mountainous country like Bhutan where farmers live scattered on the mountain slopes. However, cooperative registration has only been possible in the country since 2010. SNV supported the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives in the formulation of the Capacity Building Master Plan for Cooperatives and Farmers’ Groups and has designed more than 8 manuals to support its role out. Through capacity building of more than 200 farmer groups, cooperatives and NTFP groups, more than 10,000 households are benefitting from increased livelihood opportunities.

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 All 3 programmes mentioned above have the final aim to decrease poverty and increase income and employment for the rural poor.