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

Farmers in Nepal's Karnali region are already anticipating market challenges for their upcoming apple harvest, despite the orchards being laden with fruit. Banche Mahatara, who cultivates around 1,000 apple trees, expects a good yield this year but worries about prices and market access, a concern echoed by many in the region.

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The harvest looks good this year. The branches are bending under the weight of apples. The fruit will start ripening from mid-September, but concerns about prices and markets have already begun.

Last year, landslides on the Karnali Highway disrupted transportation for five days during the peak harvest season, leading to significant losses as apples rotted. Farmers like Mahatara were forced to sell their produce to local traders for as little as Rs45 per kilogram, a fraction of the Rs150 to Rs200 per kg fetched in cities like Nepalgunj and Surkhet.

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The highway remained closed for five days due to landslides, leading apples to rot on the way. When the highway shuts down in the harvest season, farmers suffer huge losses.

Ankalal Mahatara, another farmer, highlighted the shortage of cartons and the low prices offered by traders who visit the area. He believes direct access to city markets and the availability of cold storage facilities could significantly improve their earnings, allowing them to sell apples at better rates, especially during the Dashain festival. However, the lack of assured markets often compels farmers to harvest and sell unripe fruit, fearing a price crash when produce from across Karnali arrives simultaneously.

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During harvest season, we first face a shortage of cartons. Then comes the problem of prices and markets. The traders who come here never pay more than Rs40-45 per kilogram. If we could send the apples directly to cities, we would get better prices. If there were cold storage facilities, we could store apples until Dashain and sell them at much better rates.

The District Agriculture Development Office in Mugu reported that apple production increased to 3,800 tonnes in fiscal year 2023-24. Despite this rise, Ganesh Bahadur Adhikari, chief of the office, cited inadequate storage, absence of grading facilities, poor road connectivity, and packaging issues as persistent obstacles preventing farmers from achieving fair prices. Unsold and rotting apples frequently end up as livestock feed, underscoring the need for improved infrastructure and market strategies to support the region's growing apple industry.

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We have not been able to earn the profits we expected from apple farming. If wholesale traders purchased directly from farmers, it would provide some relief.