Apples worth millions of rupees decaying in lack of roads in Gorkha

Bhaktapur, Oct. 21: Locally grown apples worth millions of rupees at Chumnubri rural municipality of Gorkha district are in a condition of getting decayed due to absence of road in the village. 

The local farmers, traders and people's representatives have called for the positive intervention from the government to provide market to the local produces grown in over 30,000 trees.

Production Campaign Nepal's President Ramesh Pandit urged the government to make arrangements to transport the apples from remote rural municipality to cities. 

"The rural municipality has tremendous potential for agriculture and tourism. Apples worth millions of rupees have been left to rot since there is no road and market for the produces. The government should ensure market for those fruits," Pandit demanded.

The apples grown in the Himalaya has been named 'Manaslu' apples.  A total of 450 kg of Manaslu apples were transported to Kathmandu via air on October 11 which spiked the price of apple- per kg Rs 666, he shared, demanding facilitation from the government for the transportation.

He worried that those apples could rot if they were not immediately given an access to market.  Chumnubri rural municipality Chairperson Nima Lama said there were 30,000 apple trees in the rural municipality which is in the highland and geographically distant. He emphasized better infrastructures to boost agricultural production and tourism there. 

According to him, the highland produces such as apple, millet, corn-based alcohol, apple-made wine could be produced commercially with branding. Similarly, a local entrepreneur Lakpa Dhuddu Lama, who owns 12,500 apple trees, lamented the loss incurred from apple farming in lack of road. 

He considered apple farming hoping that there would be a road connectivity to his village within three years thereby his production would get market but to no avail.

According to him, an apple tree bears some 45 apples on average. His apple farming yielded double this year compared to the previous year, but poor road access has left the produces bear no income for him.  

Similarly, potatoes, kiwi and dragon fruits grown in the neighbouring Dharche rural municipality remain unsold due to lack of road and market, bemoaned Sunila Gurung, Vice-Chairperson of Dharche rural municipality.