Dasho Lobzang Dorji inaugurated the Doma Musa making plant at Norbuling under Chuzangang Gewog on 25 March 2021. The plant which will be managed and operated by a 24-member farmers group from the Gewog was established with support from Sarpang Dzongkhag at the cost of Nu. 1.00 million. The main objective of the project is to add value to the Doma and diversify the products to some extent before it is sold so that farmers earn competitive prices from the market. For that purpose, machines such as peeling, washing, dehusking, chipscutting and polishing have been provided.
This project is first of its kind that’s initiated by Dzongkhag administration. It’s being piloted in Chuzangang Gewog as it is the biggest Doma producing Gewog with its minimum annual production of 670 MT. Meanwhile, as per the record with the Dzongkhag Agriculture Sector, Sarpang Dzongkhag alone produces over 4180 MT of Doma per year from the current fruit bearing Doma plants of over 276,000. The annual production will only grow as Sarpang Dzongkhag as whole currently has over 1.355 million non-fruit bearing Doma plants as of February 2021.
During the inauguration, Dasho Dzongdag told about the religious and spiritual importance the Doma bears from the time of the Guru Rinpoche’s visit to Bhutan. In simple term he described Doma as a “Tendrel Gi Ze” and “Damtsi Gi Ze” which means Doma is an item that brings auspiciousness and enhances bonding between the person - between father and a son, teacher and a student, master and a disciple, the rulers and a subject, etc.
Dasho also expressed happiness for two reasons - a) We will have Doma Musa being processed by our own people and that our people should be able to earn comparatively better prices, b) the machineries and equipments are home-made and that the maintenance costs are expected to be cheaper.
