The farmers, who were disappointed with the production for the last three years due to different diseases and attack of pests, are hopeful of good return this year.[break]
Mustang District Agriculture Development Office said favorable weather was the major reason behind bumper production this year. "The climatic condition during budding season this year was favorable," Narayan Kumar Shrestha, crop conservation officer at Mustang District Agriculture Development Office, told Republica.
Technicians say extremely cold weather condition during budding season often lead to bumper harvest.
Apple farming is done in over 600 hectares of land in Marpha, Jomsonm, Kagbeni, Muktinath, Kobang and Jhong, among other villagers. In Nepal, apple farming is done in places having altitude more than 2,000 meters above sea level.
The office said about 4,000 tons of apples was produced in the district this year. Apples produced in the district are sold in the markets in Baglung, Beni, Parbat, Pokhara and Kathmandu.
Wholesalers from Pokhara and Baglung have already reached Mustang to buy the apples.
"We sell apples directly from thee trees. The businessmen themselves will pick the apples," farmers said. Nar Bahadur Hirachan, an apple farmer, said it is convenient for them if businessmen themselves picked apples. "I sell apples worth about Rs 1 to Rs 1.2 million every year," Hirachan added.
Mustang farmers sell apples at Rs 60 per kg. Some businessmen buy apples from the tree itself. They pay farmers Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 per tree for the apples.
Earlier, businessmen used to ferry Mustang apples to markets in lower areas on mule backs or via air. Businessmen are offering high price to farmers after the district after the construction of motorable road to the mountainous district.
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