In just over a half-century, Bhutan has achieved considerable socioeconomic progress despite being landlocked and the many challenges presented by its landlocked status. It has never been an easy feat for countries to graduate from the UN’s list of least developed countries (LDCs), but Bhutan has achieved that extraordinary milestone at the end of 2023 despite becoming one of the latest members of the UN in 1971. Throughout Bhutan’s development journey, the agriculture sector has been a major contributor to the development. Going forward in the post-graduation era, a host of policy reforms in entrepreneurship, FDI, and diversification of firms and industries would be essential. One area with immense opportunity for exploration and innovation is agricultural entrepreneurship in farm business. Innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture and farming business in Bhutan have remained unpopular and sluggish, though the majority of the Bhutanese population is dependent on agriculture.
In view of contributing towards the national vision of sustainable and climate-conscious development, the “East-West Nursery” was established in 2009 as a small-scale and research-based production on 0.50 acres of land in Bemina village, Nobgang Chiwog, Talo Gewog, Punakha. After the initial two years of operation, based on experiences gained and research, the name of the nursery was changed to Druk Shingthog Gongphel Nursery (DGSN). Following feedback from various critics and plant enthusiasts, the company's name was rebranded as “Bhutan Seedlings” in 2021, with a triple increase in production and supply.
The Bhutan Seedlings, AKA DGSN, based in Nobgang, Punakha, primarily focuses on temperate fruit plants, ornamentals, flowers, asparagus, fodder, and high-value forestry plants. Moreover, in accordance with the National Plant Act 2018 and Minimum Seed Standard of Bhutan 2019, the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) officially approved DSGN as the lone private CITRUS nursery operator of Bhutan in 2022 based on a comprehensive proposal. This was mainly because the DSGN has fulfilled Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) protocols set by the Department of Agriculture (DoA) and Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) due to the pertinent issue of citrus greening disease.
Owing to past years' experiences and the National Seed Centre’s (NSC) supply chain history, Bhutan Seedlings (BS) established “Thra Lham Lham Nursery (TLLN)” in 2024, with an area of more than 5 acres at Bejanbari, Choekhorling Gewog, Nganglam Drungkhag, Pema Gatshel Dzongkhag. The TLLN, situated in the southern belt of Bhutan, primarily serves plant enthusiasts with a variety of subtropical plants. Apart from the subtropical fruit plants, the centre has also started the production and supply of landscaping planting materials of various species and varieties.
However, the immediate aim of BS is to fill the gaps left by the National Seed Centre and other similar nurseries in terms of marketing and the services they provide. Another important goal of BS is to make a meaningful contribution to the historic Million Tree Plantation Project and Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) of His Majesty the King through the timely and quality supply of fruit tree saplings, suitable landscaping planting materials, ornamentals, flowers, and other high-value forestry plants.
Since 2023, the BS has been a leading commercial producer and supplier of fruit plants of various species and varieties in Bhutan. Our potential clients are NSC and the Bhutan Ecological Society.
While BS can enhance the accessibility of affordable fruit tree saplings for rural farmers and boost their incomes, the project has scope for economy-wide benefit for the country in addressing rural-urban migration and creating employment opportunities for rural youths. The establishment of these nurseries will create easy accessibility to saplings for the farmers of Bhutan.
VISIONS
For catering to the demands and needs of the consumers efficiently and effectively, it will also continue creating job opportunities and, in a small way, curb rural-urban migration.
It is also intended to contribute to the sustainable conservation and promotion of horticultural fruits and ornamental diversity of both exotic and indigenous species in Bhutan, which aids in enhancing food security through the introduction of high-quality horticultural fruits.
MISSION
“To Maintain National Standards of seeds and Seedlings within the Country”.
Founder & Co-Founder
The founder of Bhutan Seedlings is Mr Rinchen Pelzang, a retired senior agriculturist who served as a civil servant and has 18 years of experience. He is from Ngangray Goenpa village, Dechheling block, Nganglam Sub-District, PemaGatshel District.
The founder has studied a Diploma and a B.Sc. Agriculture from the College of Natural Resources, Bhutan, and postgraduate studies in Agriculture from Ruppin Academic Centre, Israel. Further, he has completed an M.A. in Development Studies from Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is a recipient of one of the prestigious international awards named “Dr APJ Abdul Kalam International Award, 2023” from Calcutta, West Bengal, India, for his outstanding contribution to rural agricultural development and environmental promotion through horticulture science.
In 2024, he was also recognised with the Yellow Achiever’s Award for his outstanding contribution to horticulture science and development and was awarded the “Honorary Doctorate (Honoris Causa) in the field of Horticulture Science and Development” from Washington University, USA, accredited by eight other universities and institutions in India and the USA.
In the field of NGO, he is an active member of the Horticulture Association of Bhutan and a board member for the association. Moreover, he is also an agriculture representative of the District Business Development Committee (DBDC) for the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI).
Since August 2025, he has been selected as the representative of Private Nurseries Operators of Bhutan through online voting by the private nursery owners across the country, on the platform created by the National Seed Centres, under the Department of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan.
Ms Sangay Cheki, from Decheling Gewog, Nganglam Drungkhag, Pemagatshel Dzongkhag, is a Co-Founder of BS. She has 23 years of experience in the field of agricultural farming, agri-business, and social work. She graduated with a certificate-level qualification in Nursery Management from the Rural Development Training Centre, Zhemgang, Bhutan.
Both the Founder and Co-Founder has experience under the Royal Government of Bhutan and other institutions in the field of agri-business, agriculture extension, research, seeds and saplings production, plant propagation, plant breeding, project management, Land -scaping works, royal orchard, environment conservation, organic agriculture, smart agriculture/livestock, post-harvest management, social activist, social workers, local government administration, district administration, NGOs, and Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI).
Farm Structures, Farm Staff, Mother Block, and Human Resources
We are trying our best to meet the national standards for operating the nursery farm. We have more than 15 greenhouses, 10 screen houses, five sheds, two material stores, farm machinery (mini-power tiller, grass cutting machine, and chemical spraying machine), farm staff’s residence, and other basic tools and equipment.
Currently, the farm has 15 permanent staff, including two promoters (Founder & Co-Founder). During the peak seasons, the farm recruits 25-40 additional temporary farm workers for two to three months.
We have a well-established mother blocks/Gene Bank. For the temperate plants, different species and varieties of the gene bank are maintained in Nobgang, Punakha. Whereas, for Sub-tropical plants, the mother plants are maintained in Bejanbari, Chekhorling Block, PemaGatshel District. For citrus seedling production, the unique and standardised structures are constructed based on Standard Operating Procedures developed by the Department of Agriculture(DoA), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MOAL), Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB).
The total area coverage under nursery operation from both the centre and the two different stocking sites would be more than 10 acres. Bhutan Seedlings also has six contract growers across the country.
We have well-established mother blocks for temperate fruit plants such as:
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plum,
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apricot,
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apples,
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peaches,
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kiwi,
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pecan nuts,
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almond, etc.
Similarly, we also have some subtropical fruit plants such as:
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Citrus (mandarin, lime, lemon, kumquat)
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Macadamia nut
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Coffee (Arabica & Robusta)
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guava,
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chestnuts,
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mangoes,
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Dragon fruit,
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passion fruit,
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pineapples,
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other exotic fruit plants (Durain, Mango-steen, Sapota, Rambutan, Water-apple, Coconut, etc.)
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loquat, litchi, tamarind, etc.
A few years ago, the two centres started the production, stocking, and supply of different types of landscaping planting materials, flowers, ornamentals (both indoor and outdoor, perennial, annual, and bi-annual). The company has gained experience from the first-ever "National Bathing Carnival Celebration, 2025" at Telung, Dechheling Gewog, Nganglam Drungkhag, Pema Gatshel Dzongkhag for the execution of landscape design and artworks, besides other minor artworks during the various events/celebrations.
Some of the landscape planting materials are listed below;
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Pride of India (Lagerstroemia spp.) of different colours,
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Gulmohar Tree (Delonix regia) of different types and colours,
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Bougainvillaea (Bougainvillaea spectabilis, Bougainvillaea peruviana) of four different colours,
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Palm Tree (Arecaceae Spp.) such as dead palm, royal palm, Areca palm, bottle palm, Majesty palm, European Fan palm, Foxtail palm, Trachycarpus fortunei, etc)
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Cycus (Cycus circinalis)
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Ficus (Ficus benjamina) of four types
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Anthurium plants (Anthurium andraeanum) of three types
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Philodendron plants (P. hederaceum) of seven types
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Jiji plants/ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) of three types
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Rubber plants (Ficus elastica) of three types
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Lucky bamboo of three types
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Money plants of three types
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Orchids of different types
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Agarwood plants (Aquilaria malaccensis)
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Syzygium Plants (Syzygium myrifolium)
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China Doll Plants (Radermachera sinica)
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Many more to mention; the list may go on.....