Mustang, June 9: Apple cultivation is rapidly expanding across Upper Mustang as rising temperatures linked to climate change make high-altitude regions increasingly suitable for fruit farming.
In Charang village of Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality, Ward Chairperson Tai Dhuntu Thakuri has developed an apple orchard covering 23 ropanis of land, including leased plots. This year, he planted 300 high-density hybrid apple saplings, bringing the total number of apple trees in his orchard to around 1,000.
Apple farming has become a growing source of income in the region, with 30 of Charang’s 105 households now engaged in cultivation. According to Thakuri, many farmers who previously relied on traditional crops such as barley, buckwheat and potatoes have shifted to apples due to better returns and favorable growing conditions.
Another local farmer, Chhewang Bista, has nearly 4,000 apple trees spread across 50 ropanis of land. Charang alone is home to around 13,000 apple trees, including high-density varieties as well as Royal, Red, Richard, Golden and Fuji apples.
Local authorities have stepped up support for the sector. Chairperson Lopsang Chompel Bista said the municipality has introduced subsidies for saplings, agricultural tools and equipment to encourage commercial fruit farming.
Apple cultivation is also expanding in Ghyami and Dhye villages. Farmers in Ghyami have planted apples across approximately 950 ropanis, while 26 households in Dhye village have established orchards on around 1,200 ropanis of land. Despite water shortages caused by climate change, local communities have managed irrigation systems to sustain production.
The expansion has prompted the Temperate Horticulture Development Centre to establish a satellite agricultural farm in Ghyami. Centre chief Prakash Panta said the facility aims to support farmers as apple cultivation spreads into higher-altitude areas, including parts of Lo Manthang Rural Municipality.
While apple farming is flourishing in Upper Mustang, production in Lower Mustang has reportedly declined because of reduced snowfall, an important factor for apple cultivation. The horticulture centre currently maintains 35 varieties of apple saplings as it seeks to adapt the sector to changing climatic conditions across Mustang. #nepal
