Although significant economic progress has taken place since 1960 s, the majority of the population remains dependent on agriculture for income and employment. The national per capita income is USD 540. As most rural settlements are far from the markets, there has been little potential for sale of surplus production of crops and livestock, although this is beginning to change with the opening of roads in the once inaccessible areas. The type of crops produced varies considerably, depending on climate and access to markets. Cash crops are maize, rice, millet, wheat, buckwheat, barley, mustard, potato, vegetables, orange, apple, and cardamom.
Most people raise cattle or, in the high country, yak.
The department of mines enforces the government s conservation policies that control mining and quarrying. Small mines, mostly in the south, produce gypsum, limestone, dolomite, coal, talc, marble and slate. Bhutan exports calcium carbide, wood products, ferrosilicon and cement. The other major export in agricultural product is apples, oranges, and cardamom, can fruit and jam. A new cash crop being successfully exported is mushrooms.