Until a few years ago, farmers of Jumla district in the Mid-western region had to dump apples for want of buyers due to various reasons including lack of feasible transportation in particular.

The things have changed over the years. Now the produce is gaining a good market within and outside the district, while buyers approaching farmers at their farms to buy apple. The potential market for Jumla apples include nearby districts like Surkhet and Banke. Each kilogram of apple is priced at Rs 60 at the farming.

The district popularly known as a pocket areas for apple production has witnessed a whopping sale amounting to Rs 22.5 million in a week alone, said the District Agricultural Development Office. So far in the current fiscal year, 542 metric tonnes of apple have been supplied to various districts, the DADO said.

Chhaka Bahadur, a farmer, of Chandannath Municipality-10 said he made a total of Rs 300,000 from the sale of apples in a single season. Another farmer Saraswati Devkota said one can generate good income from apple farming as its market is expanding lately.

Approximately 90 percent of the apple produce has been sold out within the third week of August, said Chairman of the Pancheshwor Multipurpose Cooperative Min Bahadur Dangi while stressing the need for launching farmer awareness programmes. RSS