Small Farm Development and Irrigation Rehabilitation Project

The goal of IFAD’s first project in Bhutan was to assist poor farmers in the valleys of Thimpu, Paro, Punakha and Wangdi in central Bhutan, where there was a good potential for rapid agricultural development. The objectives were to develop and expand the production base by improving infrastructure, and to promote development through training programmes, to strengthen the country’s project implementation capacities.

The aims of the project were to:

• increase food grain and potato production to reduce dependence on imports
• increase small farmers’ incomes and move the rural economy further into the monetized sector
• strengthen existing agricultural institutions and the government’s organizational capacity
• bring a total of 6,000 ha under a comprehensive agricultural intensification programme

Among the improvements that the project supported were:

• renovation of irrigation systems, completion of drainage systems and construction of feeder roads
• access to credit and to better inputs
• small-scale farm mechanization
• more effective extension facilities and an adaptive research programme
• a nutrition programme that included practical demonstrations and periodic training for village women
• technical assistance to strengthen the government’s capacity for implementation

Source: IFAD