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Improving Rice Productivity in Bhutan to Enhance Rice Self-Sufficiency - TCP/BHU/3602

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 7

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Project

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) In Bhutan, mountainous terrain limits agricultural land to just over three percent of the country, of which paddy cultivated area comprises 23 000 hectares, and is farmed by 28 000 households. There are three distinct rice ecosystems in the country, which are defined by three altitudes: low, mid and high. Rice yield is dependent on altitude, with the highest yields being produced in the high-altitude areas. However, as the altitude grows steeper, the terrain gets rougher; and most paddy fields are on narrowly terraced slopes. This limits farm mechanization, and the construction of irrigation infrastructures is costly. There is potential for increasing yield in low altitudes, with a more stable irrigation system and drought-tolerant rainfed rice varieties. Against this background, the project aimed to support development in the different agro-ecological zones (AEZs), to contribute to the Government's goal of achieving a higher level of rice self-sufficiency, through increased rice productivity and production.

Language English

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