Bhutan
2.6 Bhutan Storage Assessment
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Overview

The Food Corporation of Bhutan Ltd. (FCBL) has the largest network of warehouses throughout the country. It has 47 warehouses and transit stores across 20 districts of Bhutan with total storage capacity of 19,000 MT. Furthermore, it has currently 119 farm shops, each with minimum storage capacity of 5 mt, located in the remote corners of country, which can be used as mini storage if needed. There is a plan to expand to a total of 205 farm shops across the country. Although some of the warehouses are not up to standard, in terms of storage of food items, WFP considers that Bhutan has adequate capacity.

On the flipside, there are no identified warehouses for storage of non-food items except for very few district and central stores. Furthermore, there are not many commercial storage facilities available in Bhutan. During emergencies, one possibility could to use school auditoriums as warehouses since schools are located in each and every districts and sub-districts and furthermore, during emergencies, classes might be empty and thus could be converted into temporary emergency stores. This is however not a preferred option as it would delay the return to normal functioning of schools for their education roles.

FCBL maintains the "National Food Security Reserve” held in strategic warehouses throughout the country. This was established originally with assistance from WFP in 1991. The food stock consists of some 1,400 mt of rice, 200 mt of sugar and 58 mtof cooking oil.  The table below provides the locations where these reserves are held. However, considering the population growth, the CEO of FCBL projects that Bhutan presently might require around 4,150 mt (3,500 mt Rice, 300 mt Oil, 250 mt Sugar and 100 mt Salt) to provide for the needs of some 12 percent (poverty index based on 2012 figures) of the population for three months. The distribution across the country might also need a review once the data of the latest sensus are available.

National Food Security Reserve Stock Level 

Commodities

Locations and quantities of reserve (mt)

P/ling

Thimphu

Trongsa

S/Jong

Khangma

Trashiang

Mongar

Total

Rice

220

300

80

350

225

25

200

1,400

Sugar

30

80

10

40

20

5

15

200

Oil

20

14

4

10

5

1

4

58

Total

270

394

94

400

250

31

219

1,658

 

 For more information on storage company contact details, please see the following link:

4.6 Bhutan Storage and Milling Companies Contact List

Commercial Storage 

Commercial storage facilities are almost non-existent in Bhutan except a handful of them located in Phuentsholing. Notable commercial storage are as follows:

 

Location

Owner

Available for Rent

Capacity

(MT / m² / m³)

Type [1]

Access [2]

Condition [3]

Near Norgay hall, Phuentsholing

Choden Tshongkhang

Yes

500 mt

Concrete

Flat

Appears intact

Yarkay Complex, P/ling

Yarkey Group of Companies

Yes

1000 mt

Concrete

Raised-Siding

Appears intact

Near Truck Parking, Phuentsholing

Druk Norlah

Yes

200 mt

Concrete

Flat

Appears intact

Karma Feeds Complex, Phuentsholing

Karma Feeds

Yes

500 mt

Concrete

Flat

Appears intact

 

[1] Warehouse Type: Open storage, container, rub-hall, silo, concrete, other, unspecified

[2] Warehouse Access: Raised-siding, flat

[3] Warehouse condition: Appears intact, appears damaged, under construction/repair

 

Storage Used by Humanitarian Organizations

 

The World Food Programme Country Office in Bhutan uses the Food Corporation of Bhutan Ltd (FCBL) warehouses to store its food and non-food items. FCBL has three main warehouses at Phuentsholing, Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar and many other transit warehouses all over Bhutan. FCBL is amenable when it comes to sharing the warehouse space with other humanitarian agencies provided they get prior approval from their management. The table below shows various warehouses used by WFP and UNICEF.

 

Location

Organization

Sharing Possibility

Capacity

(MT / m² / m³)

Type [1]

Access [2]

Condition [3]

Phuentsholing

WFP

Yes

200 mt

Concrete

Raised -siding

appears intact

Phuentsholing

WFP

Yes

1,100 mt

Concrete

Raised -siding

appears intact

Gelephu

WFP

Yes

800 mt

Concrete

Raised -siding

appears intact

Gelephu

WFP

Yes

200 mt

Rub- hall

Raised -siding

appears intact

Samdrup Jongkhar

WFP

Yes

1,520 mt

Concrete

Raised -siding

appears intact

Khangma, Trashigang

WFP

Yes

400 mt

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Khangma, Trashigang

WFP

Yes

200 Mmt

Rub- hall

Raised -siding

appears intact

Rangjung, Trashigang

WFP

Yes

55 mt

Concrete

Raised -siding

appears intact

Gorgoan, Lhuntse

WFP

Yes

55 mt

Concrete

Raised -siding

appears intact

Nanglam, Samdrup Jongkhar

WFP

Yes

80 mt

Concrete

Raised -siding

appears intact

Daifarm, Samdrup

 Jongkhar

WFP

Yes

40 mt

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Samtse

WFP

Yes

250 mt

Concrete

Raised -siding

appears intact

Wamrong, Trashigang

WFP

Yes

20 mt

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Wangduephodrang

WFP

Yes

50 mt

Rub- hall

Flat

appears intact

Central Store, Phuentsholing

UNICEF

Yes

 

Concrete

Raised -siding

appears intact

RWSS Central Store, Phuentsholing

UNICEF

Yes

 

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Medical Supply Depot, Phuentsholing

UNICEF

Yes

 

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Regional Central Store, Trashigan

UNICEF

Yes

 

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Regional Central Store, Gelephu

UNICEF

Yes

 

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Drugs Vaccine Equipment Division, Thimphu

WHO

Yes

 

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

 

[1] Warehouse Type: Open storage, container, rub-hall, silo, concrete, other, unspecified

[2] Warehouse Access: Raised-siding, flat

[3] Warehouse condition: Appears intact, appears damaged, under construction/repair


Public Sector Storage

Most of public warehouses in Bhutan are those owned by the Food Corporation of Bhutan Ltd. The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education have some central stores located in a few places to store essential school stationery and medicines, but they are very few in number and grossly inadequate. The Department of Disaster Management (DDM), with assistance from UNICEF have issued some emergency kits to all the districts which are stored, in small rooms, at the respective district headquarters. The table below provides the details of various public warehouses.

 

Location

Ministry / Agency

Use Possibility

Capacity

(MT / m² / m³)

Type [1]

Access [2]

Condition [3]

Central Store, Phuentsholing

MOE

Yes

140  m2

Concrete

Raised -siding

appears intact

RWSS Central Store, Phuentsholing

MOE

Yes

100  m2

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Medical Supply Depot, Phuentsholing

MOH

Yes

 

120  m2

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Regional Central Store, Trashigang

MOE

Yes

 

140  m2

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Regional Central Store, Gelephu

MOE

Yes

 

150  m2

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Drugs Vaccine Equipment Division, Thimphu

MOH

Yes

 

160  m2

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Bumthang

FCBL

Yes

100 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Tsirang

FCBL

Yes

200 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Gelephu

FCBL

Yes

1100 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Gorgoan

FCBL

Yes

50 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Haa

FCBL

Yes

150 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Khangma

FCBL

Yes

1420 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Mongar

FCBL

Yes

800 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Nanglam

FCBL

Yes

200 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Paro

FCBL

Yes

250 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Pemagatshel

FCBL

Yes

50[p2] 

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Phuentsholing

FCBL

Yes

5100 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Punakha

FCBL

Yes

150 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Rangjung

FCBL

Yes

50 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Samdrup Jongkhar

FCBL

Yes

2270 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Samtse

FCBL

Yes

670 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Sarpang

FCBL

Yes

1270 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Sibsoo

RBA

Yes

250 mt

Concrete

Flat

appears intact

Thimphu

FCBL

Yes

940 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Trashigang

FCBL

Yes

210 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Trongsa

FCBL

Yes

400 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Wamrong

FCBL

Yes

50 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

Khuruthang

FCBL

Yes

300 mt

Concrete

Raised Sliding

appears intact

 

 

[1] Warehouse Type: Open storage, container, rub-hall, silo, concrete, other, unspecified

[2] Warehouse Access: Raised-siding, flat

[3] Warehouse condition: Appears intact, appears damaged, under construction/repair

Cold Chain

Currently WHO and UNICEF do not have cold chain storage facilities in Bhutan. However, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has a limited cold chain network across the country for storage of essential vaccines and medicines. FCBL on the other hand has three cold chain networks located at Phuentsholing, Samdrup Jongkhar and Thimphu with total storage capacity of 550 MT. The table below provides the details of cold storage facilities within the country:

 

Location

Organization / Owner

Type [1]

Cooling /  Power [2]

Quantity

Total Capacity

(m³)

Condition

Phuentsholing

Army Welfare Project

Cold room Positive

5X12000 kcal/hr

1

290

appears intact

DRA, Thimphu

MOH

Cold Room Negative

5X12000 Kcal/hr

1

50

appears intact

Phuentsholing

FCB

Cold room Positive

5X12000 kcal/hr

1

60

appears intact

Phuentsholing

FCB

Cold room Negative

5X12000 kcal/hr

2

50

appears intact (plastic crates)

Phuentsholing

FCB

Freezer

5X12000 kcal/hr

1

20

appears intact (Storing butter)

Samdrup Jongkhar

FCB

Cold room Negative

5X12000 kcal/hr

1

100

appears intact

Thimphu (Wangsisina)

FCB

Cold room Negative

5X12000 kcal/hr

1

350

appears intact

 

[1] Cold Room Positive, Cold Room Negative, Refrigerator, Freezer,

[2] Compression, Absorption, Solar, Other, unspecified

 

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

 

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