Once a rare sight, vegetables like cauliflower, tomatoes, and cucumbers are now growing in Mustang’s high-altitude villages, changing farming practices. Previously, people from Upper Mustang had to carry vegetables from lowland areas. Aside from potatoes, no vegetables grew in the region.

However, increasing temperatures, declining snowfall, and erratic rainfall have enabled vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and zucchinis to grow even in barren Himalayan landscapes. These changes are altering traditional farming practices and kitchens in Mustang.

“I remember travelling to the lowlands with my family and horses to transport vegetables like tomatoes and cauliflower,” said Chhirring Dolma Gurung of Ghami, ward 4 of Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality. “Now we grow these vegetables in our own fields. Visitors to Upper Mustang enjoy meals prepared with locally grown produce.”

Gurung said that while vegetable farming is currently limited to household needs, the community plans to export organic produce to markets in the lowlands in the coming years.

Experts attribute this shift to increasing rainfall and rising temperatures. “Rainfall enriches dry soil, and higher temperatures facilitate growth,” said Rajesh Gurung, head of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Mustang. “This phenomenon, known as ‘crop shifting,’ is evident in vegetables and other crops in Mustang.”

Data from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology support these observations. Rainfall in the region has increased significantly. In Chhoser, ward 1 of Lo Manthang, rainfall levels rose from below 200mm per year in 2009 to 331mm by 2023. Similarly, rainfall in Jomsom increased from less than 300mm in 2010 to 665mm in 2023. Experts say even minor changes in temperature or precipitation can have substantial effects on the environment.

The United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report 2007/8 had predicted that climate change would bring new vegetables and lowland vegetation to Himalayan regions like Mustang and Manang. The report foresaw increased greenery and shifts in local ecosystems. This prediction has become a reality in Lo Manthang, where greenhouse farming has gained traction. Warmer temperatures have spurred a shift towards climate-resilient vegetable farming, disrupting traditional practices. Vegetables like cauliflower, tomatoes, and zucchini now thrive on previously barren land, covered in snow for much of the year.

“Motorable roads have brought cultural, agricultural, and educational advancements to Upper Mustang,” Lo Manthang Rural Municipality Chairperson Tashi Nurbu Gurung said. “We are encouraging locals to adapt to climate change by growing vegetables previously limited to lowland areas. We are also conserving native crops like buckwheat and barley.”

Typically, farming is limited to March and October, as heavy snow blankets the region from November to February. But snowfall has significantly decreased, while rainfall has increased in recent years.

Chhimi Gurung, a 45-year-old resident of ward 3 of Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality, cultivated cucumbers, bitter gourds, and okra for the first time in her field. “We didn’t expect these crops to grow, but the cucumbers planted in April thrived by September,” she said.

Climate-induced changes have expanded crop zones in Mustang, with apples, once grown only in lower Mustang, now cultivated in Lo Manthang. However, these changes also bring new challenges.

“Climate change has introduced new diseases in crops and livestock,” said Umesh Paudel, head of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project’s Lo Manthang office. “We are conducting farmer training sessions to address these issues and conserve traditional seeds.”