Gorkha. In northern Gorkha, farmers have started picking apples from their orchards. They are preparing to pick apples and take them to the market for sale.

Lakpa Dhundup Lama, owner of In Gorkha Products Pvt Ltd, said that the apple of Gala variety has been plucked at the apple farm of ‘In Gorkha Products Pvt Ltd’ at Namrung of Chumnubri rural municipality-4. His garden has apples of Gala, Golden and Fuji varieties.

“The apple was picked up. Now preparations are being made to pick the golden apple,” he said, adding, “It will be time to pick fuji apple in the next one month.” This time, 10,000 kg of gala apples have been produced, he said. “I have already sent two trucks of apples to Kathmandu. There is no problem in selling in Kathmandu. ’

At present, 12,500 plants have grown apples in Lama’s garden, which was planted four years ago. He has been branding his product as ‘Chumnubri Apple’.

Similarly, Tsering Lama, owner of Bishal Manaslu Farm and Learning Center located at an altitude of 2,700 meters, is stunned to see the apple orchard at the time of picking. The apple orchard at Lho of Chumnubri Rural Municipality-2 is full of 5,000 plants of apples. Lama said it was time to pick up the gala variety of apples. There are apples of gala, fuji, golden delicious and other varieties in his garden. He informed that apples of all species will be picked within the first week of September.

Apples have been produced in Lama’s garden for the last three years. He has branded the apple of his garden as ‘Manaslu Apple’. Lama had produced 8,000 kg of apples last year. In the first year, only 700 kg of apples were produced in his garden. Lama said the production is increasing every year.

“We expect to produce 10,000 kg this year,” Lama said. Other locals of Lho have also been producing a small amount of apples for domestic use.

The apple orchard has been developed here in partnership with the Agriculture Knowledge Center Gorkha under the Gandaki State government. Four years ago, the Directorate of Agriculture had provided advanced apple saplings of Gala, Fuji, Red and Golden Delicious varieties brought from Italy at 70 percent subsidy to the farmers. The apple garden has also been developed as a study center for those who want to study apple farming.

“We have developed our apple farm not only as a study centre for producing high-quality apples but also as a study centre for those studying apple cultivation,” said Tsering Dharke, a producer of Manaslu apple. ’

Other farmers have also started commercial apple farming as apple cultivation is good in most places of Chumnubri rural municipality.