30/06/2026
๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐
๐ซ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ
The Department has taken note of the recent social media post by Inside Bhutan dated 25 June 2026, regarding the Million Fruit Tree Plantation Project. We appreciate the public's concern and believe that questions on the use of public resources deserve a transparent and factual response.
The MFTP is one of the largest horticulture initiatives undertaken in the country, which was about 10x the regular fruit promotion programme, implemented jointly with the Desuung National Service to enhance household nutrition, improve rural livelihoods, and strengthen national food security.
To ensure transparency and quality, the project was implemented through the following mechanisms:
1. A Project Advisory Committee comprising technical experts guided the selection of fruit species and overall implementation.
2. Seedlings were procured strictly in accordance with the Government Procurement Rules and Regulations. During the 1st and 2nd phases, most seedlings were sourced from established nurseries outside the country due to limited domestic production capacity. Meanwhile, domestic nurseries were encouraged to build their capacity, enabling the majority of seedlings for the 3rd and 4th phases to be sourced locally.
3. Technical teams inspected every consignment upon receipt. Seedlings that did not meet the required quality standards or specifications were rejected and asked for replacement.
4. After transportation, additional technical teams at the Dzongkhag and Gewog levels again inspected the seedlings. Any seedlings damaged during transportation or found unsuitable for planting were rejected.
5. Only seedlings verified as fit for planting were distributed to beneficiary farmers.
6. Procurement, payments, and implementation followed all prescribed government procedures. All phases of the Million Fruit Tree Plantation Project were audited by the Royal Audit Authority, and no observations relating to procurement irregularities or misuse of project funds were reported.
7. The Department wishes to clarify that there is no corruption, collusion, or deliberate substitution of fruit varieties during procurement or distribution.
While the Department made every effort to supply quality planting materials, we also acknowledge several practical challenges encountered during implementation.
Due to the unprecedented large scale of the programme, not all seedlings could be planted immediately upon arrival. In many locations, planting took an additional five to ten days because of limited manpower and the large number of seedlings to be handled. This affected seedling vigor and survival.
Seedlings also experienced transportation stress and repeated loading and unloading at different levels from the supplier to the National Seed Centre, Dzongkhags, Gewogs, and finally farmers, which may have reduced their quality by the time they were planted.
The Department therefore accepts that, although seedlings met quality standards at the time of inspection, not every seedling reached the field in the same condition.
Regarding the concerns raised about fruit varieties:
- Peach and Almond: These species belong to the same genus (Prunus) and are similar at the nursery stage. In addition, almond scions are commonly grafted onto peach rootstocks. If rootstock shoots are not removed, they grow into peach trees. Such cases have been observed during field visits.
- Seedless Lime and Lemon: These plants also have very similar vegetative characteristics during the seedling stage, making identification and verification difficult.
- Local and Dekopon mandarin: The project supplied both local (during the 3rd and 4th phases) and improved mandarin (1st and 2nd phases).
- Mango: The project supplied the Irwin mango variety. The internationally renowned "Miyazaki" mango is not merely a different variety but represents premium fruit produced under highly intensive orchard management practices, including fruit bagging, thinning, controlled nutrition, irrigation, and light management. Similar fruit quality can only be achieved with such specialised management.
The Department understands the disappointment of any farmer who may have received a different variety than expected after years of nurturing their trees. We therefore encourage any farmer with such concerns to report them through their respective Gewog or Dzongkhag Agriculture Office. Each case will be technically verified to determine the actual cause, and appropriate corrective measures will be taken wherever necessary.
The MFTP has significantly expanded fruit cultivation across Bhutan and has already begun benefiting thousands of farming households. At the same time, we recognize that every large-scale programme offers valuable lessons. The Department remains committed to improving nursery standards, varietal traceability, quality assurance, and post-planting technical support in future programmes.
We value constructive feedback from the public and reaffirm our commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in serving Bhutan's farming community.
