January 20, 2023

Mustard oil has long been a product with high potential for farmers in Dewathang, a small village in Samdrup Jongkhar. The lack of equipment to produce it locally, however, has required them to travel to India — a burden making production all but inaccessible.

This changed when the Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative (SJI) installed a mustard oil expeller at their farm in 2021 with the support of the Bhutan Foundation. With the new equipment, local farmers have prioritized mustard cultivation season after season. This trend will enhance their local economy and assist the government’s efforts to reduce food oil imports and ensure national food security.

We’re grateful for the work SJI is doing for their community and Bhutan at large and look forward to collaborating with them in the future to increase production capacity and refine their product branding.