Category: News

𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧

Gelephu, November 14, 2024: In a significant step towards modernizing Bhutan’s livestock industry, the National Piggery Development Centre (NPiDC) and the National Poultry Development Centre (NPDC), in collaboration with the Department of Livestock (DoL), spearheaded an important technical workshop in Gelephu from November 12-14, 2024. This workshop gathered representatives from GovTech, technical experts from NPiDC and NPDC, and officials from FAO Bhutan to finalize the plans for a new 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺.
The initiative, funded by FAO Bhutan under its Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), aims to enhance livestock management through greater efficiency and data-driven practices across the nation. During the workshop, participants focused on defining the technical requirements, estimating costs, and refining the blueprint for the digital Farm Registration System (FRS).
The Farm Registration System, slated for implementation in July 2025, will streamline farm operations and establish a standardized data collection process for the piggery and poultry sectors nationwide. The digital platform will serve as a reliable database for real-time tracking of livestock farms, supporting critical areas such as disease monitoring, production planning, maketing and evidence-based policymaking.

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𝗙𝗔𝗢 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻

On October 4, 2024, Ms. Pongthanapanich Tiparat, an FAO Aquaculture Expert, presented a detailed debrief following her field visit to Bhutan from September 16 to 22 to the Department of Livestock. The visit, organized by the Department of Livestock (DoL), supported by FAO, focused on assessing the aquaculture component of FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP 3903) and identifying areas for further development, particularly in trout and carp farming.
During her visit, Ms. Tiparat observed Bhutan’s significant potential for aquaculture growth but noted key challenges in infrastructure, seed quality, and local fish feed production. To address these, she recommended establishing local feed production facilities to reduce dependency on expensive imports, which currently limit the profitability and scalability of aquaculture operations in Bhutan. This would enable farmers to access high-quality, affordable feed and foster sustainable growth within the sector.

Additionally, Ms. Tiparat emphasized the importance of improving fish seed (fingerlings) quality, particularly at government hatcheries, to prevent inbreeding and ensure the availability of high-quality fingerlings. She also advocated for the development of national aquaculture guidelines, in line with Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP), to ensure sustainable farming methods and compliance with international standards. This would be especially critical for Bhutan’s efforts to enter high-value export markets.

A key strategic initiative discussed was the Chirup Farm concept, which aims to support small-scale, subsistence farmers in transitioning to commercially viable operations. This approach would involve building model farms and promoting collaboration between government entities, the private sector, and local farmers to create a robust aquaculture business ecosystem in Bhutan, covering everything from input supply to post-harvest processing.

Moving forward, the DoL and FAO will work together to develop detailed plans focusing on capacity building, sustainable feed and seed production, and strengthening Bhutan’s aquaculture industry, with the goal of ensuring long-term growth and sustainability.

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