Agriculture Development Office Conducts Mobile Training for Apple Orchard Management in Jumla

Jumla. The Agriculture Development Office located in the district headquarters Khalanga Bazaar has conducted ward-level mobile training on apple orchard pruning and management across all eight local levels in the district. Mobile training on orchard pruning and apple management was provided to apple farmers by visiting orchards within Chandannath Municipality, as well as Til, Hima, Patarasi, Sinja, and Kanakasundari Rural Municipalities.

Ram Bhakta Adhikari, Chief of the Agriculture Development Office, informed that agricultural technicians have been actively visiting the orchards of apple farmers in all eight local levels of the district to provide information and teach technical support for pruning and managing apple orchards during this season, with financial and technical support from the office. According to him, all procedures are underway to provide this training to farmers in Gutichaur and Tatopani Rural Municipalities.

Chief Adhikari stated that the training was provided because farmers have been facing problems due to a lack of effective knowledge regarding orchard pruning and appropriate apple management. The office has deployed agricultural technicians to all local levels here. Office Chief Adhikari mentioned that the office is teaching apple farmers proper orchard pruning and management, as well as providing additional technical knowledge.

Nauser Rokaya, an apple farmer from Til Rural Municipality, stated that the farmers have found significant relief as technicians from the Agriculture Development Office have visited the orchards to teach pruning. Apple farmers here say that it has become easier because agricultural technicians have provided information about additional technical knowledge regarding orchard pruning and management this time.

“The period from Poush to the end of Magh is the time for planting apple saplings and pruning apple orchards. Many do not know how to prune and manage orchards properly due to a lack of technical knowledge. We have provided training with the objective of encouraging easier farming,” said Chief Adhikari.

According to the data from the Agriculture Development Office, out of 24,838 families across the eight local levels, 19,150 families are involved in apple farming. The office stated that the total arable land in the district is 39,435 hectares. Of this, the area used for apple cultivation was 4,325 hectares in the fiscal year 2081/82, which has increased to 4,445 hectares in the current fiscal year, informed Office Chief Adhikari.

Only 2,012.5 hectares yielded apples in the current fiscal year. Apple farming farmers are increasing in the district recently. In the fiscal year 2081/82, the total production of local varieties and high-density (Fuji) apples was 20,512 metric tons. Office Chief Adhikari stated that production has decreased to 18,245 metric tons in the current fiscal year.

Currently, high-density apples are produced in 40 hectares out of a total of 52 hectares in the district. This year, 586 metric tons of high-density apples were produced in the district. The Agriculture Development Office stated that the apple varieties currently produced in the district include Red Delicious, Royal Delicious, Golden Delicious, Richared, and Janadhan.