Apple picking season starts in Mustang

By Santosh Subedi,Kaski, Sept. 23: Apple picking has started in Mustang, the district beyond Himalaya. Apple picking started at the end of August last year, but this year, it has started from September 18. 

Farmers are currently busy picking apples from the garden and stowing them. The apple picking time is set because the real taste of the apple is not obtained when it is picked before it is fully ripe.

According to the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project, Project Implementation Unit, Apple Zone, Jomsom, apples produced in Mustang can be picked and brought to the market only after September 18 (Ashoj 1) this year.

Netra Prasad Bhatta, information officer of apple zone programme, said that apple picking has been started in coordination with agricultural knowledge centre, district coordination committee, local level, and farmers.

This time, apple has been produced in 550 hectares of land in Mustang. According to Bhatta, around 17 tonnes of apples per hectare are being produced.

“The apple production has decreased this time compared to last year due to lack of snowfall. This time, the production is 20-30 per cent less than last year. Due to the rain during the flowering period, the production has been affected,” he said. In Mustang, apples have been cultivated in a total area of 1,575 hectares. All those plants do not bear fruits.

He said that a plant planted once will produce only after 5-6 years.

Apples have been produced in the apple farm in an area of about 550 hectares.

According to him, about 10 varieties of apples are produced in Mustang. Apples such as red delicious, royal delicious, golden and fuji are famous.

According to him, apples worth around Rs. 500 million have grown in Mustang. Around 300 farmers are associated with the apple zone programme in the district. Apart from these, other farmers have also been producing apples.

He informed that the farmers are now selling apples for more than Rs. 100 per kg from the garden.

“Last year, per kg was sold at around Rs. 70 to Rs. 90 in the garden, but now because the production is less, the farmers have increased the price in the garden,” he said.

The Gharapjhong and Waragun Mukti Kshetra Rural Municipality of Mustang cultivate more apples.

Apart from Thasang Rural Municiplaity- 3, 4 and 5 of the district, apples have been cultivated in all five local levels.

Information officer Bhatta said that the apples of Mustang, which are produced at an altitude of 2,500 meters above sea level, are irrigated by snow, so they are tasty and nutritious.