Growing Adzuki beans, a nutrient-rich legume with rising demand both domestically and abroad, is proving to be profitable for farmers in eastern Bhutan. This season, the 26-member Phenthab Rangzhoen Tshogpa agricultural group in Tshegpa village, Jurmey gewog, Mongar, cultivated 1,859 kg of Adzuki beans, earning Nu 149,800. The group has set aside 400 kgs of seeds for the next planting season, aiming to plant adzuki beans, a nutritious and nutritious crop, which farmers have planted for two seasons. Depending on quality, the beans sell for between Nu 200 and 300 a kilogram. The farmers received 300 kg of seed from the Tarayana Foundation in partnership with the Agriculture and Research Development Centre in Wengkhar. Farmers cultivated broccoli, tomatoes, onions, and cabbages before switching to Adzuki beans, but these crops didn’t do well on the market.
The village’s interest in agriculture has revived since the introduction of this new crop. 150 homes under six chiwogs received 600 kg of adzuki bean seeds, according to Kinzang Choden, Kharphu Tshogpa, Lumang Gewog in Trashigang. Farmers harvested over 1,500 kg of beans, despite limited seed distribution. Many households used the produce, saving seeds for future seasons. The beans serve as a local substitute for imported dal and chana. The Bhutan Foundation supports an initiative to promote sustainable agriculture, enhance rural livelihoods, strengthen food security, and foster self-sufficiency through the cultivation of Adzuki beans.
