𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐦

…𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏

By Kezang Choden

The ongoing construction of the Export and Import Facilitation Center in Nganglam, Pemagatshel Dzongkhag, is nearing completion, with nearly 70 percent of the work finished. Once operational, the center will become a crucial asset for farmers and traders in the eastern region, providing essential facilities for sorting, grading, and packaging agricultural products such as cardamom, ginger, citrus fruits, avocado, and mango. This facility is designed to streamline the marketing and distribution of surplus produce, addressing a major challenge for farmers who often struggle to find reliable buyers or suitable post-harvest handling services.

By centralizing these processes, the center will elevate the value of local agricultural products and provide a structured marketplace where exporters and importers can negotiate deals and conduct auctions. This development will reduce transportation costs for farmers, who previously incurred high expenses to bring their produce to distant markets. With the center in close proximity, farmers and traders from the eastern region will gain easier access to national and international markets, fostering economic growth in the area.

The center will also generate employment opportunities in logistics, quality control, and packaging. Plans to incorporate lodging facilities for employees will further enhance the convenience of working at the center.

Ugyen Tshering, the Dzongkhag Agriculture Officer of Pemagatshel, emphasized the financial benefits of the center, particularly in alleviating the burden of high transportation costs. “With the establishment of this center, farmers will no longer need to spend excessively on logistics. They can bring their produce here, where processing will be done, ensuring better market access and increased returns,” Tshering explained. He also highlighted that the center’s creation would encourage farmers to increase production, fostering a greater sense of self-reliance and sustainability in agricultural marketing.

The center’s focus on sorting, grading, and packaging is expected to address long-standing obstacles that have hindered farmers from securing better prices for their produce. Furthermore, the center’s role as an auction platform will allow farmers and buyers to engage directly, leading to improved income opportunities for rural households. Tshering added, “We aim to empower farmers by creating a system where they can handle post-harvest processing and marketing independently, ensuring they receive fair value for their hard work.”

Beyond benefiting farmers, the center aligns with broader national strategies to promote food security, self-sufficiency, and economic diversification in the agricultural sector. It will also help attract youth to farming, showcasing agriculture as a sustainable and rewarding profession in the face of growing concerns over rural-urban migration and youth unemployment. The initiative aims to create a more structured agricultural environment that strengthens the local economy while reducing reliance on imported produce.

The Regional Agriculture Marketing and Cooperative Office (RAMCO) of Mongar Dzongkhag has recognized the strategic importance of Nganglam as a vital gateway for trade between Bhutan and India. However, the town currently lacks a permanent export facilitation center for agricultural and livestock products. To address this gap, RAMCO has proposed the establishment of a center designed to enhance market opportunities for rural farmers and traders. This center will support the production and sale of Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) products, benefiting local farmers by improving their incomes and linking them to broader supply chains.

“The proposed center, strategically located near the trading border, will offer exporters easier access to transportation and sales,” a RAMCO spokesperson explained. With this new infrastructure, traders, vendors, and growers will be able to engage in direct business transactions, fostering stronger market linkages and reducing post-harvest losses.
The center will also provide producers and exporters with a designated space to sell RNR products, alleviating the need to set up temporary structures on leased land. This shift will streamline processes and improve product standardization, while reducing turnaround time and offering a more reliable outlet for exports.

Trashigang Dzongkhag will also benefit from the upcoming facility center in Nganglam, providing local farmers with better market access and allowing them to sell their goods locally. Dorji, the Dzongkhag Agriculture Officer of Trashigang, stated that this development would eliminate the challenges associated with selling produce in distant markets, providing farmers with more stable income opportunities. Additionally, the facility will streamline the marketing process, reducing post-harvest losses and supporting the local economy.

Karma Tenzin, the Dzongkhag Agriculture Officer of Mongar, highlighted the growing support for the farming community through agricultural development initiatives. The new facility center will not only improve access to resources but also inspire farmers to increase their production. The improved road connectivity via the Nganglam-Gyelposhing Highway will ensure efficient transportation of RNR products to the center, boosting farmers’ economic stability and contributing to the long-term growth of the local economy.

The construction of the Export and Import Facilitation Center in Nganglam is a promising development for the eastern region. By improving market access, reducing costs, and generating employment opportunities, the center will strengthen the local agricultural economy and support the broader goals of self-sufficiency, economic growth, and sustainability.