Myagdi, Oct 11: Arjun Subedi from Beni, Myagdi, purchased 30 kilograms of apples on Thursday to enjoy at home and take as gifts to relatives during Dashain celebrations.
“Apples produced in Mustang, a neighboring district, are delicious and juicy, which is why it has become a tradition to bring them as gifts every Dashain,” he said. “Compared to apples from other regions, Mustang apples are preferred for their taste and health benefits.”
Due to their long shelf life and lower cost compared to imported varieties, Mustang apples see high consumption during festivals like Dashain and Tihar, particularly in districts like Myagdi and throughout the Gandaki Province.
On Thursday, fruit shops in Beni were bustling with customers buying apples. Local businessman Bidyananda Shah noted that apple sales have increased tenfold compared to other times of the year. “On average, we sell about 10 kilograms daily at other times, but during Dashain, we can’t meet the demand even with 200 kilograms a day,” he said. It’s customary to offer fruits like apples, bananas, and mangoes as Prasad after receiving tika and jamara during Bijayadashami.
Sujata Sharma from Beni-2 shared that carrying apples is convenient not just for offering to guests at home, but also for visiting elders to receive Dashain tika, jamara, and blessings.
According to farmers and traders, apples produced in Mustang have a high demand during Dashain. Apple trader Sibhang Tamang mentioned that he has sent 20 truckloads of apples from Mustang to the market in Pokhara for Dashain. Due to high demand during the festival, apples are harvested and sent to market in advance. The prices of apples also tend to increase during festive seasons.
In Beni, Mustang apples are selling for Rs 220 per kilogram. Netra Prasad Bhatt, a senior agricultural development officer for the Prime Minister’s Agricultural Modernization Project, highlighted that a significant quantity of apples produced in Mustang is consumed during Dashain.
Besides the festivals, tourists visiting Mustang often take apples, dried apple slices, apple wine, walnuts, jimbu, and local varieties of lentils as gifts. Lal Prasad Hirachan, a farmer from Marpha, mentioned that apples from Mustang are also sent to markets for festivals like Teej, Tihar, and Chhath.
The apples ripening in Mustang’s orchards are aromatic, and farmers and traders are busy harvesting and sending them to market. This year, high-density apple varieties were harvested starting from the 10th to 15th of Bhadra, while local varieties began being sent to market from the 1st of Ashwin.
With favorable weather, good orchard management, and fewer problems with diseases and pests, both production and quality have improved, according to Nishan Khadka Magar, an agricultural extension officer at the Agricultural Knowledge Center in Mustang. He reported a 25 to 30 percent increase in apple production compared to last year.
Apples are cultivated over 1,475 hectares in Mustang, with 580 hectares producing fruit. High-density apples imported from Italy are grown on 38 hectares. Last year, 4,975 metric tons of apples were produced, generating sales worth Rs 492.5 million, according to data from the Agricultural Knowledge Center.
Traders from cities like Myagdi, Baglung, Pokhara, Chitwan, Butwal, and Kathmandu have pre-purchased apples by paying upfront before they are fully ripe in the orchards. Smaller, unsellable apples are used to make apple wine and dried apple snacks. #apple #mustang
