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🇳🇵 Nepal /Economy & Trade

Jumla steps up checks to keep unripe apples off the market

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Jumla authorities are implementing strict quality control measures to prevent unripe apples from reaching markets.
  • Agricultural technicians are using refractometers to test sugar content and advising farmers on optimal harvest times.
  • These efforts aim to protect and enhance the reputation of Jumla apples amidst high demand from traders.

Jumla authorities are taking decisive action to safeguard the reputation of the district's apples. Farmers are facing pressure from traders eager to purchase the season's crop, but officials and local stakeholders have agreed to prevent unripe fruit from entering the market.

Agricultural technicians are actively visiting orchards, equipped with refractometers to measure the sugar content of the apples. They are assessing fruit size and sweetness, guiding farmers on the correct harvest timing. "Most farmers are proactively calling us to their orchards to test their crop," said Rambhakta Adhikari, head of the Agriculture Development Office in Jumla. "If we rigorously maintain quality this season, we will further enhance the brand identity of the Jumla apple nationally."

Most farmers are proactively calling us to their orchards to test their crop. If we rigorously maintain quality this season, we will further enhance the brand identity of the Jumla apple nationally.

— Rambhakta AdhikariHead of the Agriculture Development Office in Jumla, explaining the proactive approach to quality control.

Thirty-five technicians are monitoring orchards across the district to enforce quality standards. Apple farming is a vital income source for Jumla, with approximately 16,000 of the district's 18,000 households involved in cultivation. This season, orchards cover over 4,600 hectares, with more than 2,300 hectares bearing fruit, and production is expected to reach 18,000 to 20,000 tonnes.

Authorities have also set specific harvesting dates. For instance, farmers in Tila Rural Municipality can begin harvesting on August 21, while others must wait until the final week of August. Apples require written approval from agricultural technicians before being transported out of the district. Despite these measures, attempts to move unripe apples have occurred, with police intercepting 321 cartons destined for Surkhet and Nepalgunj. "The apples are simply not ripe yet, and the local technicians had not issued any export recommendations," Adhikari stated.

The apples are simply not ripe yet, and the local technicians had not issued any export recommendations.

— Rambhakta AdhikariExplaining the seizure of unripe apples being transported out of the district.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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