Outline of the Project

Project Name

Integrated Temperate Fruit Crops Promotion Project

Country

Bhutan

Project Site

3 Dozongkhags (Districts) in eastern Bhutan (Paro, Thimphu and Haa)

Date of R/D signed

October 13, 2021

Term of Cooperation

Mar. 14, 2022 to Mar. 13, 2027 (5 Years)

Implementing Organizations

1. Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests
2. National Seed Centre
3. National Centre for Organic Agriculture

Background

In Bhutan, the agricultural sector is one of the country's key industries with 50 % of the employed population. Horticulture is one of the important sub-sectors with its main role in income and food security.

The royal government of Bhutan (RGoB) has been promoting commercial agriculture in the agricultural sector, with a focus on marketable horticultural and organic crops, aiming to improve the livelihood of rural people by changing from subsistence farming to commercial farming. It is however, the National Seed Centre (NSC) Paro and the National Centre for Organic Agriculture (NCOA) Yusipang both faced challenges of aging basic infrastructure necessary for fruit seedlings production and limited skills in grafting and other techniques, contributing to the shortage of fruit seedlings throughout Bhutan. It has also been noted that most of the small-scale farmers involved in horticulture production do not consider farming as a business and do not operate as individual, proactive farmers.

The newly launched project, Integrated Temperate Fruit Crops Promotion Project, will support NSC Paro and NCOA Yusipang with establishing the necessary environment for quality fruit seedlings production and provide technical assistance to stakeholders for appropriate temperate fruit seedlings production and orchard management. The Project will also support target farmers develop the capacity to engage in farming as a business by introducing the "Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment & Promotion (SHEP) Approach" to the Research Outreach Programme (ROP) implemented in the previous project called "Integrated Horticulture Promotion Project in the West Central Region (IHPP)" (2016 - 2021).

Overall Goal

Commercialization of agriculture by introducing horticultural is enhanced through production and supply of quality temperate fruit seedlings and improved orchard management across the country.

Project Purpose

Production and supply of quality temperate fruit seedlings and orchard management are strengthened in the target areas to promote horticulture commercialization.

Outputs

1. Necessary environment including farmlands, orchards and facilities for quality fruit seedling production is established in NSC Paro and NCOA Yusipang.
2. Capacity of quality fruit seedling production and orchard management is improved among the stakeholders*.
   * 1)Staffs of NSC Paro and NCOA Yusipang, 2) Target DAOs, 3) Target Extension Officers, 4) Fruit nursery farmers and 5) Private fruit nursery operators
3. The market-oriented Research Outreach Programme (ROP) is developed and adopted.

Project Activities

1-1	Identify and analyse problems of existing farmlands, orchards and infrastructures in NSC Paro and NCOA Yusipang
1-2	Establish fruit crop nurseries and mother blocks
1-3	Rehabilitate old orchards and develop materials for quality fruit seedings (propagation, grafting, etc.)
1-4	Establish necessary facilities for maintaining farmlands
2-1	Identify and analyse problems of fruit seedling production and orchard management through the Baseline Survey in NSC Paro and NCOA Yusipang
2-2	Identify and verify appropriate production technologies of quality fruit seedlings and fruit crop varieties
2-3	Conduct training on fruit nursery production and orchard management for staffs of NSC Paro and NCOA Yusipang through On-the-Job Training (OJT)
2-4	Develop nursery and propagation manuals and extension materials for selected fruit crops
2-5	Conduct training on fruit nursery production for target extension officers, target DAOs, fruit nursery farmers and private fruit nursery operators
3-1	Review and analyse the existing Research Outreach Programme (ROP)
3-2	Conduct training on the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach** for NCOA Yusipang, NSC Paro, ARDC Bajo, DAOs and extension officers
3-3	Identify the target farmers for ROP, i.e., the candidates of fruit growers
3-4	Plan activities for ROP and develop extension materials for the target farmers by incorporating the SHEP approach
3-5	Establish the ROP in the target Dzongkhags/areas by incorporating the SHEP approach
3-6	Modify the ROP for fruit growers by incorporating the SHEP approach based on the results and lessons learned from 3-5
3-7	Share experiences and lessons learned from the market-oriented ROP with ARDCs, Dzongkhags, College of Natural Resources and other Projects

**SHEP is an agriculture extension approach to change famer's mindset form "grow and sell" to "grow to sell".

Inputs

Japanese side

1. Dispatch of Experts
   -Chief Advisor/Agricultural Extension
   -Fruit Production
   -Training/Coordinator
   -Others if necessary arises
2. Training
   Training for Counterpart Personnel in Japan and other countries as necessary
3. Provision of Equipment
   Project vehicles and other necessary equipment for fruit seedling production
4. Cost of Operation in Bhutan

Bhutanese side

1. Assignment of Counterpart Personnel (C/Ps)
   -Project Director
   -Project Manager
2. Office space with facilities necessary for the Project
3. Cost of Operation in Bhutan (Trip expenses for C/P, and costs of Project activities)