Country Status Reports on Underutilized Crops, by Kailash Pradhan, Bhutan - Regional Expert Consultation on Underutilized Crops for Food and Nutritional Security in Asia and the Pacific November 13-15, 2017, Bangkok

1. Country Report
Status of Neglected and Underutilized
Crops in Achieving Food and Nutritional
Security in Bhutan
“Regional Expert Consultation”
13-15 November, 2017,
APAARI Bangkok: Thailand
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2. Introduction
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• Landlocked between India and China
• Mountainous and rugged landscape
• Wide range of elevation (<160m asl to
>7000m asl) and micro climate
• Only about 3 % is under cultivation
(38394 sq km)

3. Introduction
• Pre-dominantly Agriculture based economy with 62% of
population directly dependent on it.
• Agriculture sector (crops, LS & Forest) contributes
16.77% to national GDP and accounts for 4.3 % of
export. Crop sector alone contributes about 10%.
• It plays important role in improving livelihood and
reducing poverty.
• 12% of the population under the poverty line
($28/month).
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4. Introduction
• HYV promoted to enhance and secure food and nutritional
security.
• With improved income, dietary habits are changing. Rice is
preferred cereal.
• Cereals dominated by rice contributes 68% of dietary energy
requirement.
• Dietary diversity is decreasing.
• Consumption of minor cereals linked to low social status.
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5. Introduction
• Poor food diversity led to high
prevalence of hidden hunger.
• 21.2 % children <5yrs are stunted and
9% underweight.
• 44% of children <5 yrs. and 35% of non
pregnant women are anemic (Iron
deficient).
• 22% preschool children and 17 %
pregnant women deficient in Vit. A.
• Malnutrition is mostly in rural areas.
• Reduction in consumption of traditional
crops could increase the prevalence of
malnutrition.
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6. 6
Introduction
• Bhutan’s economy heavily depends on climate
sensitive sector like agriculture, forestry and
hydropower.
• It is important and timely that NUS is
considered as main component of national
food basket for food and nutrition security.

7. Area, Production and Productivity
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•
• Limited information and data on NUS.
• 38 NUS crops under different crops types recorded.
• Area under minor cereals or traditional crops are
decreasing.
Wheat Barley Buckwheat Millet
Area 2005 21825 8450 16063 16982
Area 2016 3717 2451 6897 3245
% decrease 82.9 70.9 57 80.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
AreaDecrease(%)
CultivatedArea(ac)
Area under minor cereals

8. Area, Production and Productivity (2016)
SL No Name Area (Ac) Production(Mt) Yield (Kg/Ac)
1 Wheat 3717 2521 678
1 Barley 2451 1702 696
2 Buckwheat 6897 3705 537
3 Millet 3245 1714 528
4 Soybean 544 275 466
5 Rajma bean 1565 994 635
6 Mungbean 952 482 506
7 Sweet potato 31 29 940
8 Topioca 278 415 1490
9 Walnut (No of tree) 24072 181 21kg/tree
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9. Significant Achievement
• Germplasm- 284 landraces/traditional variety of cereals,
pulses and oilseeds (NBC).
• Lack proper characterization and molecular studies, chances
of duplication.
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Sl. No Crops
No. of land
races/Traditional
Variety
Sl. No Crops
No. of land
races/Traditional
Variety
1 Barley 32 7 Wheat 26
2 Buckwheat (sweet) 10 8 Amaranthus 17
3 Buckwheat (Bitter) 11 9 Common beans 76
4 Finger millet 37 10 Soybean 11
5 Foxtail millet 36 11 Mungbean 23
6 Little Millet 4
• Similar study for horticultural crops is underway.

10. Varietal Development and cultivation practices
Sl No Crop Type Release Variety Year of release
1 Soybean One daughter 1994
Khangma libi 2 2002
Brag 2002
Khangma Libi 1 1999
2 Millet Limithang Kongpu-1 2002
Limithang Kongpu-2 2002
3 Mung beans Limithang Mung 1 2002
Limithang Mung 2 2002
4 Upland Paddy Kambja 1 2017
Kambja 2 2017
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• Limited initiatives have been taken for developing varieties and
production technologies.
• Up-scaling is difficult due to weak seed system.
• No improved recommendation, farmers use traditional knowledge;
low external inputs.

11. Value addition
• No major products development.
• Farmers make flour, noodles.
• Dehydrated products by private entrepreneurs for
organic.
• Support in the form of knowledge and skill transfer.
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12. Challenges and Opportunities
• Minor cereals, fruits and vegetables have not received
required attention and their contribution to food basket is
diminishing.
• Food production dominated by few major cereals and
commercial vegetables.
• Fear of losing diversity of traditional and minor crops
along with traditional knowledge about its utilization and
conservation.
• Hidden hunger is a major challenge for the government.
High prevalence of anemia & stunting.
• Poor food diversity; Rice accounts for larger share of food
consumed in rural area, indicating potential risks of
protein & micronutrient deficiency. 12

13. Challenges and Opportunities
• NUS crops are good source of micro nutrients,
vitamins and proteins.
• Accepted as health food.
• Plays important role for HH food systems especially
during lean season.
• Option for climate smart agriculture.
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14. Market, Commercialization & Trade
• Commercial trading is limited by small scale of production
and small domestic consumer base.
• Access to international market is constrained by expensive
logistics and low volume of production.
• Pvt. sector are encouraged- promoted as organic and health
food.
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15. Market, Commercialization & Trade
• Agricultural marketing system is developing. FCB facilitates
marketing of major agricultural commodities.
• Minor/traditional crops are traded locally.
• One Gewog One Product (OGOP) supports marketing through
quality improvement, packaging and procurement.
• Farmers’ group and cooperatives are supported to scale up the
production and better price negotiation.
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16. Strategies and major focus area to harness
potential
Strategy
• Department of Agriculture has given a commodity status to few
NUS- Pulses, Oilseeds and Wheat.
• Commodity status will provide dedicated budget, continuity of
efforts and institutionalization.
Focus Area
• Germplasm conservation- in-situ & ex-situ.
• Organic production of NUS.
• Seed Production in farmers field.
• Strengthen research to develop better varieties and production
practices.
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17. Infrastructure, Capacity building & Investment
• Resources provided are negligible and fragmented
• No dedicated resources for NUS.
• Supports are subsumed under other programmes
e.g. organic programmes, agri. marketing and
cooperatives etc. and often limited.
• Knowledge and capacity of stakeholders are limited
• Poor infrastructure – postproduction.
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18. Future Thrust
• NUS are closely intertwined with the cultural
habit of the people and their knowledge about
the local ecosystem and food resources.
• Therefore, conserving and studying NUS not only
save them from extinction, but also the local
ecosystems, social and cultural values and
contribute to economy and livelihood of peoples
mainly the farmers.
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19. Future Thrust
• Develop new varieties and better production practices.
• Map and document availability, utilization and cultural &
economic value of NUS in different agro-zones.
• Evaluate and document the economic and nutritional properties of
NUC. To garner government and donors support for its promotion
and up-scaling.
• Collection and conservation of germplasm (on-farm/genebank).
• Improve the marketing system.
• Promote NUS in dietary systems to improve nutrition intake and
health.
• HR capacity building and development for research and
development.
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20. Future Thrust
To achieve the progress in thrust area we need
to:
• Create awareness among the producers, consumers, research
and development workers and policy maker about the benefits
of conserving and using NUS, its economic and nutrition value.
• Invest in capacity development of all stakeholders.
• Support and strengthen research programme.
• Enhance conservation both in-situ and ex-situ.
• Develop supportive policy and programme.
• Improve production and market value chain.
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21. Conclusion
• Variety of NUS available and they play important role in
household food and nutrition security.
• Contribute to HH cash income.
• Inclusion of NUS in food system increases food self sufficiency
at national level and add diversity to household dietary habit.
• Supplement nutrition intake and improve health status.
• NUS contribution is not adequately recognized.
• Need to properly document its importance and contributions.
• Government, donors, private sector and research institutions
should together to promote and conserve NUS.
• Helps to conserves bio-diversity.
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22. Trashi Delek
Thank You
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