Records of Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives (MoAC) show that 17,881 tons of apples were produced in Karnali zone in 2008/09. But less than 20 percent of the total production found access to the market. A total of 39,134 tons of apples were produced across the country in 2008/09. [break]
Though the demand for apples has been growing every year, local producers have been failing to establish sustainable market linkages. Nepal imports about 22,000 tons of apples every year. People in cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara are compelled to pay higher price for imported apples even though apples from Karnali zone are priced relatively cheaper.
Dr Hari Dahal, spokesperson of MoAC, said apples produced in Karnali were not finding market because of the absence of reliable transportation system.
Apple farming is done in a total of 19,422 hectares of land across the country. But active productions have been recorded only in 4,240 hectares, according to MoAC.
Of the total apples consumed in the country, 77 percent comes from China while 22 percent is imported from India. Only a percent of the total demand is fulfilled by domestic production. In the absence of reliable market, apples produced in Karnali are fed to cattle and used to brew liquor.
According to traders, the Kathmandu Valley alone imports 9,000 tons of apples a year from China and 4,000 tons a year from India. If the price of a kg of apple is assumed Rs 50, the Valley imports apples worth Rs 650 million every year. Officials estimate the nation produces apples worth Rs 5 billion every year.
Jumla - the largest apple producer in the country - produced 8,332 tons in 2008/09. Officials, however, said less than 20 percent of the apples produced in Jumla entered the domestic market due to lack of reliable transport facility and high transport fare.
Farmers of Jumla this week separately met President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and informed them about the lack of reliable transport facility to deliver their products in the market.
The government had allocated a meager amount of Rs 2.2 million to subsidize packaging and transportation of 100 tons of apples in 2009/10.
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