Kathmandu, Mar. 17: Seventy-two types of apples can be successfully grown in Nepal. Mustang district which is famous for producing luscious  apples produces forty types of apples and its annual yield comes to three thousand metric tonnes, according to manager of the Horticulture Centre, Mustang Chutaraj Gurung.

However, the situation is such that apples picked two three months ago have to be sold in Mustang.

The apples when transported to Pokhara cost Rs 20 per  kg by plane and Rs 15 per kg when transported   on  mules. The chief woe of Mustang is its lack of access road that has resulted in the rotting of apples, apricot, walnut, plum, peach and  vegetables produced here due to lack of market.

Most of the fruits produced here are used in the production of wine.

Apple orchards cover 176 hectares of land  in Mustang. Mustang has a centre for making brandy, dried apples, jam and jelly and local beer cider  in the apple farm run  under the Ministry of Agriculture. Besides, there are private sector distilleries producing apple wine and cider.

Buddhi Ratna Sherchan and Pasang Khampache Sherpa have a remarkable contribution in  commercialising apple farming in Mustang district which began here in commercial basis since the year 2033 B.S. through the Agriculture Centre.

Mustang, also known as  the district beyond the himalayas, has a population of 15,000 and has  16 VDCs. The production of apples this year has been totally hampered by widespread frost in tukuche, kowang, kunjo and lete areas. Mustang district has 35  storehouses for storing  apples.

A seminar on apple processing and marketing and its future plans and strategies has decided to form a  Mustang Cooperatives Pvt. Ltd. with the involvement of  apple farmers of Mustang.

Mustang DDC chairman Nirmal Gauchan says that the Agriculture Entrepreneurship Centre is to conduct a survey on  fruit processing and market management specifically the transportation of apples. The DDC has a plan to establish a technology that is cheaper  and can be handled by the local residents for the production of juice and wine as well as for  other uses of apples.

Chairman Gauchan says-we have a consensus on formulating an  integrated plan for fruit cultivation, tourism, soil conservation and  the development of Muktinath. The DDC is also coordinating to formulate a future plan by common efforts   of  the  Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (fncci), the usaid, the Export Promotion Committee of the Ministry of Commerce and the Fruits Development Division of the Ministry of Agriculture for fruit cultivation and market management in Mustang District.