Pineapple Farming Raises Incomes in Bhutan’s Durungri Village
Durungri’s 50-member pineapple group has sold about 100 tonnes in 2026, earning Nu 4.5 million and strengthening rural incomes in eastern Bhutan.
Pineapple farmers in Durungri village in eastern Bhutan have sold about 100 metric tonnes of fruit so far in 2026, generating approximately Nu 4.5 million (approx. USD 47,700) in revenue.
The Durungri Pineapple Group now has 50 members cultivating around 40 acres, or 16 hectares, of land in Pema Gatshel district. The figures show how organised production and access to a regular buyer are helping a small farming community turn pineapples into a dependable source of income.
Production Has Risen More Than Sixfold
The group supplied 13 metric tonnes of pineapples in 2022, the year it was formed. During the 2026 summer harvest alone, production reached nearly 79 metric tonnes.
Farmers harvest pineapples twice a year, during summer and winter. The winter harvest was under way in November, bringing the group’s total sales for the year to about 100 metric tonnes.
Durungri is widely known as Bhutan’s Pineapple Village because of the crop’s importance to the local economy.
| Durungri Pineapple Farming at a Glance | Figure |
|---|---|
| Group members | 50 |
| Cultivated area | 40 acres, or about 16 hectares |
| Production in 2022 | 13 metric tonnes |
| Summer harvest in 2026 | Nearly 79 metric tonnes |
| Total sold so far in 2026 | About 100 metric tonnes |
| Revenue so far in 2026 | Nu 4.5 million (approx. USD 47,700) |
A Regular Buyer Reduces Market Uncertainty
Farmers sell their harvest to Bhutan Agro Industries Limited, which operates a fruit-processing plant at Lingmethang in Mongar district.
The company processes locally grown fruit into products including juices and squashes. Durungri farmers have supplied pineapples to the company for nearly six years, giving them a regular outlet for a crop that could otherwise spoil if buyers were not available when the fruit ripened.
The current selling price is around Nu 45 (approx. USD 0.48) per kilogram. Depending on the size of their plantations and harvests, individual households earn between Nu 22,000 (approx. USD 230) and Nu 250,000 (approx. USD 2,650) a year from pineapple sales.
Farmers Expand Their Plantations
Pineapple is the community’s principal cash crop. Farmers also grow maize, but pineapple sales provide stronger commercial returns for many households.
Some farmers earn about Nu 50,000 (approx. USD 530) annually from the crop, while others earn more than Nu 100,000 (approx. USD 1,060).
Improved returns are encouraging members to expand production. The group’s growth also demonstrates the importance of collective production. By organising farmers, coordinating harvests and supplying in larger volumes, the group can maintain a more consistent relationship with its buyer.
Growth Depends on Markets and Transport
Durungri’s experience shows how a reliable buyer can encourage rural households to expand commercial farming. The increase from 13 metric tonnes in 2022 to about 100 metric tonnes sold so far in 2026 also points to the community’s capacity to increase production when a market is available.
Sustaining that growth will depend on maintaining crop quality, dependable transport and a stable processing market. If those conditions continue, pineapple farming could provide Durungri’s households with stronger incomes while creating further opportunities in processing and other fruit-based enterprises.
Check out this guide to Pemagatshel for more information about the eastern Bhutanese district where Durungri is located.
