Bajura farmers earn Rs 1.2 crore from apple sales

Bajura: Farmers in Bajura have earned Rs Rs 1.2 crore this year by selling apples produced in the district.

Farmers from Himali, Swamikartik Khapar, Jagnath, Budhinanda, Khaptad, and Chhededah Gaumul have been cultivating apples and selling them in various cities across the country. This year, the sale of organic apples generated nearly Rs 1.2 crore in revenue. While last year saw high production, this year’s apple yield was slightly lower, farmers reported.

The apples began ripening from Bhadra 15, but road closures delayed their transport to markets, causing some losses, said Man Bahadur Rawat, an apple farmer from Budhinanda Municipality. However, the opening of the Karnali Corridor has improved market access, allowing farmers to earn two to four lakh rupees per season from apple sales.

Farmers from Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality alone sold apples worth Rs 4 million this year, according to Binod Shahi, Chief of the Agriculture Development Branch of the municipality.

While apples are produced in Budhiganga, Khaptad, Chhededah, Badimalika, and Gaumul, higher yields come from Budhinanda, Swamikartik, and Jagnath municipalities, noted Jasiram Sahni, head of the Agricultural Knowledge Center in Bajura. Although apple cultivation spans 504 hectares, only 200 hectares were productive this year, yielding 150 metric tons of apples. Overall, apple farmers in Bajura earned more than Rs 1.5 crore from sales this year, Sahni added.