CENTRE AT A GLANCE

The Centre was founded as Agricultural Demonstration Station in 1965. In 1982 it was re-established as the Centre for Agricultural Research and Development (CARD) basically to undertake research in rice and rice-based crops. Research and farming systems was also started in the late 1980s. In 1994, the Centre was renamed as RNR Research Centre to incorporate research in livestock and forest that are inseparable components of Bhutanese farming systems. Subsequent to realignment exercise by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest to enhance the efficiency of the service delivery to farmers, development mandate was added to Research Centres in July 2008. Following the organizational development exercise undertaken by RCSC in 2016 the Research Centres is now renamed as Agriculture Research and Development Centre (ARDC).

The Centre is located at Bajo (1100masl) in Wangdue Phodrang which is 70km west of the capital city Thimphu.

At the national level ARDC Bajo is mandated to coordinate field crops research and citrus program, while at the regional level it undertakes relevant research and development for West-Central Region (Gasa, Punakha, Dagana, Tsirang and Wangdue. Phodrang). The Centre has 50.90 acres of research farm, furnished office space, modest laboratory and library facilities.

Sub-centre at Mithun, Tsirang was opened in 2006 to cater to the humid sub-tropical Dzongkhags of Tsirang and Dagana. It has about 36 acres of research area, office space and the National Citrus Repository is being developed.

Contact Address:

Agriculture Research and Development Centre, Bajo, Wangdue Phodrang,

Department of Agriculture

Ministry of Agriculture & Forests

P.O Box: 1263

Phone No: +975 02 481209; 482260; Fax: +975 02 481311

Email: ardcbajo@moaf.gov.bt  Webpage: www.rcbajo.gov.bt