September 12: Lemon grass oil has become a major source of income for the farmers of Udzorong geog in Trashigang dzongkhag.

It is sold to Essential Oil Development Programme under the Economic Affairs ministry in Monggar and and Bio Bhutan in Thimphu.

A litre of lemon grass oil can fetch around Nu. 700. With demand on the increase, farmers of Udzorong geog in Trashigang are working day and night to keep up production. Of the four villages of Bepam, Gengkhar, Mankhar and Udzorong, majority of the oil is produced by Bepam village.

The lemon grass harvesting season sees stiff competition amongst farmers. Lemon grass grows in the wild and and interested farmers can harvest it by paying royalty to the government.

Our reporter Dorji Dema says with the business becoming profitable, more people are taking it up. A few kilometers away from Chazam in Trashigang, farmers have set up makeshift tents to extract lemon grass oil. 31-year-old Ap Wangdi is one of them. He said, he has been in the business for 13 years.

As he settles to work, a sunny weather is all he wishes to see every day. He said it helps to enhance the quality and quantity of the oil.

According to Ap Wangdi after the extraction of the oil, the waste is either used as fodder for cows or sold to buyers. He said a truck load of waste fetches Nu. 800.