Sub-Committee Meeting for Development of Bhutan Standard on Cage-Free Egg Production

The Department of Livestock in collaboration with Bhutan Standards Bureau (BSB), and funding support from the GEF-8 project titled “Productive and Sustainable Food Systems in Bhutan for Environmental Benefits and Gross National Happiness”, FAO organized a Sub-committee meeting for development of Bhutan Standard on Cage-free egg production. The meeting was held from 14 to 16 September in Paro.

Following the Food and Agriculture Technical Committee (TC02) meeting held on 20 August 2026, the development of a national standard on Cage-Free Egg was deliberated by the Committee. The

Committee agreed to constitute a Sub-committee on Poultry to facilitate detailed technical discussions

and undertake further work towards the development of the standard. The Sub-committee members includes representatives from Department of Livestock, Bhutan Standards Bureau, Bhutan Food and Drug Authority, Regional Livestock Development Centre, National Poultry Development Centre, Regional Poultry Breeding Centre, Karma Feeds, Food Corporation of Bhutan Limited, Dzongkhag Livestock Sectors, Poultry Federation and Famer members.

The meeting focused on the detailed review and development of the draft standard, taking into consideration relevant reference standards and Bhutan’s production context. The development of a national standard for cage-free egg production is necessary to establish clear and consistent requirements for producers adopting cage-free production systems. A standard will provide a common technical basis for production, housing, animal welfare, biosecurity, hygiene, egg handling and product requirements, while supporting conformity assessment and certification requirement.

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Department Conducts 2-day Initial Planning Meeting for Phase III of the Rangeland Grass Diversity Assessment in Bhutan’s Highland Areas

The Department of Livestock (DoL), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, conducted a two-day Initial planning Meeting starting 27 July 2026 in Gasa on the “Assessment of Rangeland Carrying Capacity Using Forage Species Diversity and Biomass in the Highland Areas of Bhutan (Phase III).” The meeting brought together 22 officials from highland Dzongkhags and Gewogs, relevant research centres, and the Department headquarter.

The meeting aims to strengthen participants’ understanding of the research methodology, standardize data collection procedures, enhance coordination among stakeholders, and provide the necessary technical guidance for successful field implementation. The technical staff from the field are trained by local experts from the Department, National Livestock Research Center and National Center for Animal Nutrition, Bumthang.

The Phase III assessment seeks to:

🌱 Identify and document additional rangeland forage species, including grasses, sedges, rushes, forbs, and herbs, and establish a live herbarium of important forage species.

🌱 Analyse the nutritional composition of edible forage species and generate baseline information on rangeland soil health, the impacts of climate change on rangeland ecosystems, and other key parameters essential for sustainable rangeland management.

As different forage species grow and mature at different growing seasons, the research activity requires year-round data collection. Therefore, the trained field teams will conduct data collection across Bhutan’s highland areas starting August 2026 for this phase using standardized protocols and specialized field equipment. Further, the team will collect data on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) to showcase at the relevant platforms like the Royal Highland Festival.

This activity will build on the field assessments conducted during Phase I (May 2025) and Phase II (October 2025). Once the department completes year round data collection, it will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of Bhutan’s rangeland resources and provide evidence to support sustainable rangeland management and informed policy and planning. 

 

The research activity for this phase is funded through the GEF-Umbrella Support Project for the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP), implemented through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The Department of Livestock sincerely acknowledges the valuable financial support provided by the project in implementing this important initiative. 

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