Say that it is an opportunity for economic empowerment, amongst others
Moving away from the traditional way of doing things, the Queens Project Office (QPO) recently unveiled a groundbreaking “Framework for Engagement and Investments” to propel the One Gewog One Product (OGOP) project to new heights. This framework, which opens doors for private sector players, start-ups, and foreign investors to drive transformative investments in value chain development have ignited hope amongst people who say it will play a critical role in economic empowerment, instill the spirit of entrepreneurship and also help the country achieve the vision of self sufficiency and sustainability.
Sangay Wangmo, who worked for the Food Corporation of Bhutan earlier and is currently in Tsirang said, she had to give up her interests to venture into business in agriculture. “There was no enabling system, lack of guidance and links to the market. Knowing that OGOP will now be helping people like me has ignited the spirit I long had,” she said. According to Sangay, there are many people, especially women like her. “Everything grows in Tsirang, including mandarin. But we cannot export and fetch good prices because of our product’s quality and compliance with international norms. If we are trained to harvest and pack our products and get international certification, we can earn a lot,” she added.
Tandin Wangchuk, a young entrepreneur from Thimphu said OGOP’s emphasis on innovative design is very important. “Our people can weave the most beautiful and intricate kiras, for example with unmatched design. But there is no market beyond Bhutan for kiras; why are our weavers not getting into weaving what the world wants? It is because they lack creativity and knowledge. OGOP’s focus on this is very important,” he said. “For long, we have been selling pickles, jams and other products; so there is definitely a market for innovation in the agricultural sector, too,” he added.
Meanwhile, collection, value addition, and marketing are areas of focus, under the framework, which farmers say are important. Dorji, a farmer from Trashigang said a lot depends on the availability of ready markets and value addition. “For years, I have been involved in the sale of potatoes. The only market is Samdrup Jongkhar, where we are at the mercy of the market sometimes. If there are other markets, it would benefit us a lot.” Dorji added that value addition is important, too. “Products are judged by how they are packed. Sometimes, buyers take your products looking at the quality of the gunny bags used to pack the potatoes,” he said.
Sonam Dorji, an unemployed youth in Thimphu said he heard and read about the Framework on social media. “It is a great opportunity for youth like us and I want to know more about it, so that I will know what to do next,” he said.
A civil servant from Samdrup Jongkhar added that the new framework would have multiple benefits. “People need some kind of support especially in terms of ready market, value addition and trainings, such as segregation of products and the needs of the market. When their products fail to generate income, they give up. If they make some profit, they would become entrepreneurs; sustainability and self sufficiency will be promoted. It will also reduce the number of those unemployed and even inspire people living in urban areas to return to their villages.” According to her, the roles of the local government become very important. “People need to be informed of the latest developments, especially the benefits that can be reaped. The scope is immense – economic empowerment, development of the entrepreneurial spirit, generating employment and making people the masters of their own businesses. Beyond this, the potential to work together in joint ventures (JV) and attract foreign direct investments (FDI) is huge. This can be a catalyst for revolution in increasing the income of people at the grassroots and others who are already entrepreneurs.”
The OGOP project was launched as a Royal Initiative under the Queen’s Project Office (QPO) on November 11 2015, aimed at supporting rural communities to produce Authentic Bhutanese products to enhance their socio-economic wellbeing. It focuses on promoting value-addition of goods, utilizing local wisdom and community resources fostering sustainable and environmentally friendly production systems. The primary goal of OGOP is to connect authentic, high-quality Bhutanese products to larger markets for fair and higher economic return.
Currently, OGOP has developed over 65 products, and efforts are ongoing to develop new offerings. However, the scale of operation is relatively small compared to global or regional standards. This limitation affects the collection of agricultural produce from the farmers. Nevertheless, years of experience have equipped OGOP to identify priority products suitable for processing and marketing at an industrial scale.
Looking ahead, the Queen’s Project Office plans to upscale the OGOP project to enhance its capacity to collect, process, package, and market a significant portion of farmers’ produce at the National Level. This expansion will motivate farmers and producers to boost production in response to market demands, ultimately strengthening the local economy and enhancing the livelihoods of rural communities, start-ups, and entrepreneurs
Upscaling OGOP project presents a significant transition from its current small-scale production model to a more commercial industrial-scale manufacturing and market-driven approach. This shift aims to enhance Bhutan’s production, processing, and marketing systems by identifying and addressing bottlenecks and fostering an environment conducive to invest in value-chain development.
OGOP initiatives can effectively transition from pilot projects to robust, market-centric manufacturing enterprises, creating ample investment opportunities and strengthening the overall Bhutanese economy.
In breaking away from the traditional way of doing things, the QPO has formulated a “Framework for Engagement and Investments” to upscale the OGOP Project. The framework will provide the basis and opportunity for engagement with the private sector, start-ups, and foreign investors for investments in the value chain development. The framework will further bolster grassroots engagement in an entrepreneurship mode to boost production based on market systems.
The “Framework for Engagement and Investments” will be the most critical component of upscaling OGOP project to open up the sector for production of Authentic Bhutanese goods by creating an enabling ecosystem. Projects will be implemented under the framework in entrepreneurship mode as new business ventures. Among the most important considerations for development of new business ventures is the compliance to international norms to enhance product quality standards both in-country and for export.
More than just a strategy—it’s a call to action. It empowers grassroots communities to embrace entrepreneurship, igniting a production boom fueled by market-driven systems. With this framework, the OGOP Project is set to redefine opportunity, innovation, and impact from the ground up.
According to the OGOP office, “the Queen’s Project Office remains committed to ensuring OGOP’s success, encouraging investment, and promoting sustainable economic opportunities for all stakeholders involved.”
Ugyen Tenzin from Thimphu
