Mustang. Apple production has increased in Mustang as compared to last year. According to Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Mustang, 7,238 metric tons apples were produced this year compared to 7,238 metric tons last year.

Apple worth Rs 1.10 billion was sold this year compared to Rs 918.6 million last year, according to the centre.

According to Rajesh Gurung, chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Mustang, apple production was carried out on the basis of the monitoring of different orchards of the ÷local farmers by the agro technicians of Agriculture Knowledge Center, Mustang, and the agriculture section of the local level and the farmers here.

This year, 80 percent of apples have been exported outside the district while 10 percent apples are consumed in the district. Similarly, 10 percent of the harvest is yet to be done, according to Gurung.

Centre chief Gurung said that this year more 6,108 metric tons of apples were exported out of the district while Rs 861.84 million was entered. Similarly, 763 metric tons of apples worth Rs 110.23 million were consumed in the district. Now, 763 metric tons of apples are left to be harvested.

There is 832 hectares of land where local varieties of apples are grown and 60 hectares of land is cultivated with high-density hybrid apples. Of this, 6,069 metric tonnes of local apples and 1,567 metric tonnes of hybrid apples were produced, according to Agriculture Knowledge Centre.

Local apples are produced worth Rs 78.89 crore. According to the centre, apple worth Rs 31.34 crore was produced under the hybrid category.

According to Agriculture Knowledge Centre, local apples are being sold at Rs 130 per kg and hybrid apples at Rs 200 per kg in Mustang. The local apple productivity was 10.41 metric tonnes per hectare while the hybrid apple productivity was 26.12 metric tonnes per hectare this year. Last year, the local apple productivity was 10.74 metric tons per hectare while this year the productivity has decreased by 0.33 metric tons per hectare.

Similarly, the productivity of high-density hybrid apple has increased by 1.12 metric tonnes per hectare this year compared to 25 metric tonnes last year. According to the centre, the overall local and hybrid productivity is 11.87 metric tonnes per hectare.

Rajesh Gurung, chief of the office, said that there was no impact on the production of apples of local variety in the upper belt of Mustang this year while the production of local variety has been seen in the lower belt of Mustang.

This year, apple production has increased due to the increase in apple production. Last year, 566 hectares of apples were cultivated, which has increased to 583 hectares this year. Similarly, the area has increased to 60 hectares from 50 hectares last year.