सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Gandaki. Apple farming based on high-density technology has been expanded in an area of 1,477 ropanis in Gandaki Province.
Farmers from the Himalayan and high-hilly regions including Mustang, Manang, Baglung, Gorkha have been attracted to apple farming using this technology.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives has been helping farmers in expanding apple orchards. Mustang and Manang are considered suitable areas for apple farming.
Ministry Secretary Vasudev Regmi informed that apple farming based on high-density technology has also been carried out in places such as Dhorpatan in Baglung, Chumanubri in Gorkha, and Gurja in Myagdi.
He said that the ministry has been supporting farmers through the Apple Farming Extension and Commercialization Project and the Temperate Fruits Extension and Commercialization Project.
According to him, the apple farming expansion project has been launched with Mustang and Manang as the main focus. Farmers in the highland regions of other districts have also recently started commercial apple farming.
The ministry has been spending a large budget on apple farming and temperate fruit expansion every year. Secretary Regmi said that apple seedlings have been provided to farmers.
Under the Temperate Fruit Extension Project, walnut orchards have been expanded in an area of 527 ropanis and khurpani orchards in an area of six hectares.
The ministry has stated that the expanded apple and other fruit farming is generating an annual income of crores of rupees and more than 600 people have been employed.
Two 100-ton capacity humidity centers have also been constructed in Mustang for apples, said Agriculture Officer Dilip Nepali of the Agricultural Knowledge Center Mustang. .
According to him, a humidity center has been constructed in Tukuche of Thasang Rural Municipality and Marpha of Gharpajhong Rural Municipality.
Except for Lomanthang Rural Municipality, high-density apple farming has been expanded in all four rural municipalities of Mustang. Farmers receive 75 percent subsidy on seedlings and 50 percent subsidy on farm management.
The area under apple cultivation in Mustang has expanded as farmers have become more interested in high-density modern technology apple farming. Agriculture Officer Nepali said that since apple trees with high density are shorter and have fewer branches than the native varieties, it will also be easier to manage the garden.
Farmers are attracted to apple farming using this technology because it produces faster and more produce. The cost of a single plant for high-density apple farming ranges from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200, said the center’s agriculture officer Nepali.
Farmers are demanding that the government provide additional subsidies as orchard management is also costly. Apple farming using this technology was introduced to Nepal only a decade ago.
Initially, apple farming based on high-density technology was started in Gandaki Province from Manang. These apple seedlings were imported to Nepal from Italy.
This apple farming is flourishing because it can be planted in a small area and it bears fruit quickly and abundantly. Apple varieties such as Gala, Fuji, Golden have been cultivated. An agricultural officer, Nepali, said that an apple tree can produce for 25 years.
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