Empowering Women in Agriculture: Ms. Nidup and Her Chili Farm

Nidup Wangmo has been working at a farm to sustain her family with her husband. The family does commercial farming at Dawakha, Paro and grows different types of vegetables. They are a family of five with one of her children attending a private school in Paro. In 2022, she opted to plant chili saplings and availed a loan of Nu. 50,000/- from Tarayana MicroFinance to support this venture. Ms. Wangmo says that the interest rate of 15% and a short loan period of just one year was favorable.

“I chose chili as my main crop because apple trees take a longer time to bear fruits, and potatoes do not grow well in Dawakha. I was able to repay the loan by selling my chilies in Thimphu. We made about Nu.12,000 to Nu.15,000 per harvest. We also sold other vegetables that we grew on our farm. The loan improved my life and my family’s well-being. I was able to send my daughter to a good school. I also used some of the profit to buy fencing wire to protect my farm from wild animals, ”expresses Nidup Wangmo.

The loan not only improved Nidup’s living standard but also boosted productivity and reduced human wildlife conflicts. However, challenges arose while paying the loan. The dry seasons in Paro affected chili growth due to inadequate water supply, impacting both yield and profit. Additionally, marketing posed challenges, requiring Nidup to travel to Thimphu to sell vegetables, incurring parking fees and logistical costs. Pest attacks on chili were also a huge problem.

Reflecting on the overall growth of her commercial farming since securing the loan from Tarayana MicroFinance, Nidup expresses her gratitude to Tarayana MicroFinance, “Earlier, my husband had availed a loan from Bhutan Development Bank Limited (BDBL), but we had a hard time repaying it as we were inexperienced and had water scarcity problems. The government solved the water scarcity problem last year, but we still struggled to earn profit and repay the loan. Now, we are more confident and skilled in our business. We have also started growing different types of vegetables to diversify our income. I am very thankful to Tarayana MicroFinance for giving me the opportunity to grow my business and improve my life. Thank you, Tarayana MicroFinance!”

Tarayana MicroFinance loan not only enabled financial stability but also instilled confidence and resilience in overcoming their challenges.