Bajura's organic apples reach market

By Sher Bahadur Sarki,Bajura, Sept. 4: Organic apples produced in Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality of Bajura have been taken to the market for sale.

The contractors have started supplying apples produced in different places here to different markets, including Lamki in Kailali via the Karnali Corridor.

Megh Raj Bhatta, an apple farmer of Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality, said that the organic apples were kept in the garden hoping that the Kolti-Martadi road would be reopened, but when the road was not reopened, the contractor have started to supply to various markets outside the district via the Karnali Corridor.

"Earlier, when the apples produced here did not find any market, we used to pick and feed them to cows and bulls. Recently, the apples produced by the initiative of the rural municipality have started to find the market,” he said. 

Bhatta said that as the apples produced in the village started getting the market timely, it is now very easy to sell apples and manage household expenditure.

Apples grown in Bajura last year were taken to Kathmandu, Achham, Doti, Dadeldhura and Kailali. 

This year, as the Martadi-Kolti road has been blocked for a long time, the apples have been taken to Kailali, Nepalgunj and Kathmandu via the Karnali Corridor.

According to the agriculture branch of Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality, apples worth more than Rs. 10 million have been produced in the rural municipality this year.

Binod Shahi, chief of Agriculture Branch of Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality, said that local, delicious, royal, red delicious, golden, gala and fuji, among other apples, are being produced here.

He said, "This is the rural municipality that produces most apples in Bajura. Apples have been produced well in Jewale, Saidewo Khunka, Loki and Joru of the rural municipality.”

Now, two trucks of apples have reached the Lamki market in Kailali and are being sold. Shahi said that preparations are being made to sell another 30 trucks of apples outside the district.

Recently, apples are produced in local areas, including Himali, Jagannath, Budhinanda, Gaumul and Khaptad Chhededaha in Bajura. 

Bharat Rokaya, Chairman of Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality, said that as there is a suitable land for apple production here, most of the farmers here are encouraged to start more apple cultivation.

He said, "Earlier, more local varieties of apples were produced here. Nowadays, golden delicacies and other high-value apples are also produced which are nutritious for health. In other places, apples are produced using pesticides. Apples are cultivated here by using compost manure.”

Last year, the rural municipality provided transportation subsidy to farmers for selling the apples. 

He said that this year, the rural municipality did not give that subsidy because it cooperated in the construction of sell stores in all the wards where apples are produced.

Rokaya said that as the contractor himself came to the apple farm and bought apples at Rs. 40 per kg, it was very easy for the farmers to sell the apples.