Agriculture in Bhutan
Agricultural practices have changed tremendously over the years. Until a decade ago, agriculture was practiced on a subsistence basis. Whatever was produced on the farm was consumed having little or no marketable surplus. The farm production is supplemented by keeping different kinds of domestic animals such as cattle for draught and milking purpose, chicken for eggs and pigs for meat etc. At higher altitudes, herds of yaks and sheep are also kept for draught and milking.
The economy of Bhutan is particularly based on agriculture, forestry and hydro – power. The people of Bhutan practice subsistence farming and animal husbandry. About 70 percent of the people live in rural areas and about 95percent of the women in Bhutan work in the agricultural sector hence making agriculture one of the main occupations of the people here in Bhutan.
Agricultural products are: Rice, Corn, and Citrus, Food grains, Dairy milk products and Eggs.
Organic Agriculture methods
Bhutan had been striving to be the first country to convert to a 100percent organic agricultural system and in 2013 it became the first country in the world to have 100percent organic farming. Bhutan drew international attention just a few years back for saying Gross National Happiness should surpass Gross Domestic Product when measuring the progress of the nation.
The natural environment conditions in Bhutan as well as its global image potentially ideal for sustainable farming. Any crop imaginable can be grown somewhere in Bhutan, from the highlands of the north to the mid-latitude belt, to the subtropical lowlands in the south.
Crops are grown: Rice, Potato, Maize, Spice, and Herbs.
Animal Husbandry in Bhutan
It is one of the most important Agricultural occupations of the people in Bhutan, especially in the alpine and high altitude regions. It is the main economic activity in Bhutan
Livestock: Cattle, Pigs, Goats, Horses, and Yaks.
The main goals of Agriculture in Bhutan are to increase the income of the people living mainly in the rural areas and to increase the productivity of agricultural land. Bhutan ranks first in the ease of doing business, economic freedom and peace.
