May 8: With several farm and feeder roads coming up in Pemagatshel, the demand for orange saplings has increased.

Farmers in Nanong, Shumar, Khar, Yurung, Zobel and Dechenling geogs in Pemagatshel grow mandarin and potato.

However in the past, the farmers struggled to take their products to the market due to lack of roads. Today with several farm and feeder roads coming up, most of the farmers are taking up orange cultivation.

Farmers told our reporter that there is a lot of demand for mandarin in the market.

70 year old Meme Bagala is one of the few mandarin sapling suppliers in the Dzongkhag. He is from Dewathang, about 20 kilometers from Samdrup Jongkhar town. Meme Bagala has been selling mandarin saplings for the past six years. He sells more than 1,000 saplings every year earning between Nu. 20,000 to 30,000. His customers include farmers from Trashigang, Monggar, Pemagatshel and Samtse.