December 21: A 10 kilometre farm road in Lhuentse has been inaugurated. It is expected to enhance the income of the farmers.

The 10 kilometre farm road connects Khardung village in Tsenkhar geog to Lagay village under Menji geog in Lhuentse. The farm road was inaugurated by the Agriculture Minister Lyonpo Pema Gyamtsho on Thursday, December 18.

Our reporter Sonam Choden says the farm road will benefit more than 100 households. Sonam Eden and Tenzin from Khardung village are among the beneficiaries. They said earlier they had to transport their goods on horseback to Gorgan for sale and they had to pay Nu. 200 per horse. But for the first time this year they made the maximum profit from the sale of potatoes because of the farm road.

The Assistant dzongkhag agriculture officer Karma Wangchuk said with the construction of the farm road they expect the villagers to take up cash crop production like plums and pears.

90% of the villages under Menji and Tsenkhar geogs are now connected to the road heads by farm roads.

In the 2007-08 financial year, five farm roads have been constructed in Lhuentse dzongkhag.