TAPLEJUNG, Sept 28: Apple cultivation has shown strong commercial potential in the high-altitude villages of Phale and Ghunsa in Taplejung after trial production yielded quality fruits.
According to Rajan Limbu, chairperson of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality, the apples have successfully passed quality tests for taste, fruit size and sugar content, providing a strong basis for commercial cultivation.
Local farmers and various organizations had planted apple trees on a trial basis, and the trees have begun producing quality fruit, increasing enthusiasm among local residents, Limbu said.
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Local resident Namgyal Sherpa said trial production of Fuji, Gala and Golden Delicious varieties in Phale had demonstrated strong potential for commercial farming.
Phale is situated at an altitude of around 3,232 metres above sea level, while Ghunsa lies at around 3,475 metres. Both villages are located along the Kanchenjunga trekking route, which attracts large numbers of foreign visitors each year for expeditions and treks to Mt Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest and Nepal’s second-highest mountain.
Domestic tourists have also increasingly been visiting the Kanchenjunga base camp, while the area has become a destination for preliminary mountaineering training.
Apple saplings of Fuji, Gala and Golden Delicious varieties brought from Italy were planted on a trial basis in Phale and Ghunsa. According to the Putali Sahayog Project, model apple orchards have been established on two ropanis of land each in Phaletar and Ghunsa under its Sustainable Ecological Agriculture System programme, in partnership with a Swiss team and local communities.
The trial plants have begun producing quality apples, indicating that commercial cultivation could be viable in these high-altitude settlements.
Limbu said the rural municipality now plans to promote commercial apple farming as a major agricultural activity in the area after the trial demonstrated promising production and quality.
The rural municipality has also started an agricultural ambulance service to help farmers take their produce directly to markets and reduce dependence on middlemen.
Limbu said the municipality would focus on commercial agricultural production and ensure market access for farm products, with the aim of shifting farmers from subsistence farming toward a business-oriented agricultural system.
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