Kalikot Municipality Mandates Local Recommendation for Apple Exports

Kalikot. Tilagufa Municipality has made local level recommendation mandatory for exporting apples produced within the municipality to outside the district.

The municipality stated that such a provision has been made to systematize and make transparent the quality certification and export management of local products.

The recommendation has been made mandatory to maintain the quality and hygiene of apples produced in the municipality and to preserve the credibility of Tilagufa's apples in the market.

Chief Administrative Officer Bishnu Prasad Kafle said that farmers and businessmen exporting apples outside the district will be allowed to export apples only after obtaining a recommendation in accordance with the standards set by the municipality.

"To systematize the export process, the municipality has set a three-stage process, which farmers and businessmen must compulsorily follow", he said, "Farmers or businessmen must submit an application to the municipality's agricultural service center at least three days before transporting and exporting apples, clearly stating the quantity of apples and the export destination."

According to him, after the application is registered, the municipality's agricultural technicians will conduct field-level monitoring and inspection of the quality, quantity, and the condition of diseases or pests in the apples.

"Only after submitting the prescribed revenue according to the rules, based on the report prepared by the technical team, an official export recommendation letter will be provided from the office", Kafle said, "This arrangement will help to make the market management of apples, which has become the identity of Tilagufa, more systematic, qualitative, and professional."

Agriculture Development Officer Govinda Bhatta said that the new arrangement has been implemented to maintain the quality of apples produced here, as Tilagufa Municipality is the major apple producing area of Kalikot.

"More than 10,000 quintals of apples are exported annually from the municipality", he said, "Due to haphazard exports, the quality and image of Tilagufa's apples could be affected in the market, hence the provision of mandatory recommendation has been made to maintain quality."