TIL BDR GHALLEY
Thimphu
A dramatic fall in orange production in southern Bhutan has triggered urgent debate in the National Assembly.
On June 19, representatives sought answers and action from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MoAL) during the 19th sitting of the third session of the Fourth Parliament.
Dophuchen-Tading MP Ugyen Lama drew attention to the crisis, citing a steep drop in exports from Samtse Dzongkhag.
Raising the issue the MP said that citrus, particularly orange served as a major cash crop and primary source of income for communities in Tashicholing and Dophuchen Drungkhags.
He said until early 2000s, Samtse Dzongkhag was among the top citrus -producing Dzongkhag in he country, with Tashicholing Drungkhag leading in production, followed by Dopchuchen Drungkhag.
According to past records, five Gewogs under Tashicholing Drungkhag alone exported over 500 truckloads of graded citrus annually to Bangladesh.
“However, citrus production has seen a sharp and continuous decline over the years. Last year, only 18 truckloads of graded oranges were exported from Tashicholing Drungkhag, reflecting a serious downturn,” he stated.
MP Ugyen Lama pressed the Ministry for clarity on the causes and for a roadmap to revive the sector.
“Has the Ministry conducted any reviews or research into the causes of this decline? What initiatives or strategic plans are in place to revive citrus farming in Samtse Dzongkhag and other areas with similar agro-climatic conditions?” he asked.
Responding to these concerns, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho acknowledged the seriousness of the situation.
“Oranges have been one of the main cash crops in the southern region since the 1960s. Although Samtse was one of the leading orange exporters in the early 2000s, it is currently ranked 8th in terms of orange export volume,” he said.
The Minister cited citrus greening disease—Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as ‘yellow dragon disease’—as the primary cause.
The disease, he said, is caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, which is transmitted by the insect vector Diaphorina citri.
“It was first detected in Phuentsholing in 1992 and later found in orchards in Punakha and Wangdue in 2002,” he stated. “Nearly 30 percent of orange trees are infected, significantly reducing productivity.”
Aging orchards have compounded the problem. “Many orange trees were planted in the 1960s and 1970s and are now old, which has further impacted productivity,” Lyonpo Younten added.
Referring to a report, he noted, “A single orange tree used to yield between 30 to 50 kilograms of fruit. However, the 2010 report showed that the yield had drastically dropped to around 7 kilograms per tree.”
To address the crisis, the Ministry is rolling out multiple interventions.
“First, the Breakthrough Solutions for Citrus Agriculture (BREAKSA) initiative is currently providing support in four Dzongkhags Zhemgang, Sarpang, Trongsa, and Tsirang,” the Minister said, adding the ministry is working to provide full support for orange cultivation in six eastern Dzongkhags.”
A key government response is the Million Fruit Tree Plantation Programme. Lyonpo said although the ministry could not roll out the first phase as planned.
However, in the second phase they distributed around 300,000 orange saplings while 496,360 saplings were distributed in the third phase.
“In the fourth phase—now underway—we aim to distribute 200,555 saplings,” Lyonpo Younten said. “Altogether, we will have distributed a total of 996,812 orange saplings.”
The Ministry is also researching disease and climate-resilient varieties. “We are currently studying nine different orange varieties to identify those that are resistant to disease and adaptable to changing climatic conditions,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, MPs called for further support and adaptation. Shompangkha MP Tek Bahadur Rai said, “Due to changing weather conditions, orange orchards have been deteriorating, and farmers are not receiving any support or subsidies, although they have been paying land tax regularly.”
He suggested that one option is to provide disease- and climate-resilient orange saplings. Another is to supply alternative saplings.
“The third alternative is to convert orchard or Tsheri into Kamzhing (dryland), which offers more advantages, including the option for residential construction,” headed.
Mongar MP Naiten Wangchuk recommended broader adaptation strategies: “Controlled environmental agriculture should be taken into consideration.”
Bartsham-Shongphu MP Rinchen Wangdi stressed the importance of the Million Tree Plantation Project, noting, “Improving the survival rate is essential for future phases.”
The Minister reiterated the objectives of the Million Tree Plantation Programme is to ensure food and nutrition security, promote farmers’ self-sufficiency, utilize fallow and barren land, and create employment opportunities to encourage youth participation in agriculture.
On sapling survival he said, “The first phase recorded a mortality rate of 32 percent, while the second phase saw a mortality rate of 40 percent. Overall, the combined survival rate stands at 68 percent.”
The dramatic fall in orange production has brought into sharp focus the vulnerability of Bhutan’s once thriving citrus industry, igniting calls for swift and strategic government intervention.
With disease, aging orchards, and climate change taking a toll, parliamentarians underscored the urgency for data-driven solutions and greater farmer support.
