Galkot (Bagalung). Commercial apple cultivation has recently started in the Dhorpatan area of Baglung, which has a high potential for apple cultivation. As the traditional apple cultivation failed to take the market, the modern apple plants brought from Italy have gradually started occupying the land of Dhorpatan valley area.
In Dhorpatan Municipality-9 Masgaon, 6 youths have started apple cultivation for a year. One thousand three hundred apple plants brought from Italy were planted last June. Since 75 percent of the plants have started bearing fruit from this year, the youth here are excited. 40-year-old Chiran Kumar Gharti of Dhorpatan Municipality-8 Sherabang went to Qatar for employment in 2060. After living in Qatar for seven years, he started an agricultural farm in Kathmandu in 2068 after thinking of doing something in Nepal. After suffering the loss, Gharti returned to Dhorpatan.
Humlal Bhusal, a local, supported Gharti, who came to the village and continued his agricultural occupation. Hunder ate in agriculture has gradually started to make him successful. Since both of them thought of doing agricultural work in the village, they started marketing potatoes by registering ‘Uttarganga Agricultural Agro Pvt Ltd’ in the year 2076. They included other young people as well. Since last year, they have started cultivating apples along with potato cultivation.
Enthusiastic after the successful trial of different advanced varieties of potatoes in Masgaon, two youths decided to plant advanced varieties of apples on 100 plantations of land, along with four more youths. Chiran and Humlal along with Rudra Gharti, Chakendra Gharti, Kamansingh Budha and Jhirmati Gharti have prepared an apple orchard with 100 saplings. They planted 1,300 apple plants in the first phase, but 900 apple plants have started to bear fruit.
“Apples have started to grow at the rate of one to two kilos, the apple trees brought from Italy are small, after only five years, up to 25 kilos of apples are grown per tree”, said Chirankumar, “Dhorpatan has great potential for apples, there are a thousand old apple trees in Masgaon. But the yield is low, more benefits can be gained in a short period of time from advanced varieties of apples.”
Gharti informed that the aim is to prepare an apple garden on 100 plants of land and to market advanced varieties of potatoes internationally. Out of the 6 people, except for Humlal, all of them are youths who have returned after suffering abroad and are working hard in syakukheti. Directorate of Agricultural Development Pokhara is also supporting them. Apple plants of Gala, Fuji, Golden and Red varieties brought from Italy have been planted. According to Chirankumar, the initial cost of constructing an apple garden and fencing it under Chaklabandi is high.
With the increasing migration of young people abroad and the decreasing attraction of young people towards agricultural business, six young people are looking for the possibility of apple and potato farming in remote villages. They say that they have invested Rs. 25 lakhs in the first phase. Chirankumar said that 75% subsidy was received from the Gandaki State Directorate of Agriculture and 50% subsidy for Thakro and Tarbar from the Agricultural Knowledge Center.
