Karnali apple farmers’ market worry sets in months before harvest season

Record harvests are expected across Karnali this year, but growers worry that poor roads, lack of cold storage and weak market systems will once again force them to sell apples at throwaway prices while consumers pay several times more.

The apple orchard of Banche Mahatara in Chhayanath Rara Municipality of Mugu is heavily laden with fruit this year. He has planted around 1,000 apple trees on nearly 10 ropanis of land; 600 of them bear fruit.