Apples growing in hot Tarai district of Nawalpur

BY BOM LAL GIRI,Nawalpur, Aug. 20: Apple, which is considered to grow only in cold climates, particularly in hilly regions, is now grown in the intense heat of Nawalpur. 

An apple orchard spanning over 10 bighas of land at the Agricultural and Forest Conservation Research Centre Pvt. Ltd. located in Ratnapur of Madhyabindu Municipality-3, Nawalpur, is thriving with apples. 

According to the research centre, more than 4,000 apple trees, capable of growing in temperatures as high as 42 degrees Celsius, have been planted in the orchard. Generally, the temperature here ranges from 25 to 40 degrees Celsius.

Ishwar Bhattarai, manager of the centre, said that three varieties of apple, anna, Dorset and hmr-99, capable of bearing fruit even in extreme heat, were planted in the garden. The saplings for these varieties were brought from Kashmir, India. 

He informed that most of the trees started flowering and fruiting within two years of their plantation. He said that apples produced there would be supplied to the market from next year. He said that this was the first time large-scale apple cultivation in the Tarai region after Kailali.

He said that around Rs. 3.5 to Rs. 4 million had been invested in apple cultivation, which is considered new to the Tarai region. 

Along with apples and other fruits, the research centre had also started producing saplings for sale and distribution. Additionally, there had been demand for these saplings from various parts of the country, he added. He said that 20 to 50 people visit daily to observe the garden, study and purchase saplings.

The apple cultivation is solely financed by Prof. Dr. Meghraj Shrestha, who returned to Nepal after living in Australia for a long time. 

Apart from apples, the research centre has also planted guavas, oranges, lemons, cinnamon, cherries, jackfruit, bananas and advanced varieties of peanuts among other fruits. 

Additionally, the research centre has been producing and distributing banana and bamboo saplings across the country using tissue culture technology.

Currently, the research centre provides daily employment to around 35 to 40 people. As commercial apple production has begun in the Tarai, the research centre is also advancing as a destination for agro-tourism.