AVRDC Director General Dyno Keatinge (right) meets with Tashi Samdup, Director, Council for (RNR) Renewable Natural Resources Research of Bhutan.

Dyno Keatinge, AVRDC Director General, and Warwick Easdown, AVRDC South Asia Regional Director, visited Bhutan from 15-19 May 2013 to explore opportunities for collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests (MoAF). Bhutan will participate in the upcoming Vegetables Go to School project, which will focus on promoting school gardens and increasing children’s consumption of fresh green vegetables. The Council for Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) Research of Bhutan (CoRRB) will lead the project in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, the Royal Institute of Health and Science, and the Department of School Education. Drs. Keatinge and Easdown attended a workshop with key stakeholders and visited the three pilot schools that will participate in the project: Wolathang Prima Primary School in Punakha; Tshaphel Lower Secondary School in Haa; and Dawakha Lower Secondary School in Paro. Dyno and Warwick also learned more about Bhutan’s current School Agriculture Programme during visits to Bithekha Middle Secondary School and Wanakha Lower Secondary School. A memorandum of understanding is expected to be developed and signed with MoAF soon for the proposed project.

 Thanks to B.B Rai (CoRRB MoAF) for the text and photos.