In Mustang’s Gharpajhong Rural Municipality-5, apple farmer Karma Gurung has significantly expanded his orchard by adopting modern cultivation techniques. A single tree of a local variety in his Chimle orchard recently yielded 400 kilograms of apples, valued at approximately Rs. 100,000 in the local market.

Gurung manages a large orchard comprising 5,000 local apple trees and 57,000 high-density trees planted over 700 ropanis across the district. He has introduced a variety of apple cultivars, including M-9 saplings imported from Italy, and employs modern Israeli farming methods to enhance production. If all his trees, planted one meter apart, were placed in a line, they would extend roughly 80 kilometers.

Since losing his father at age 13, Gurung has expanded the family orchard by leasing land from relatives and community members, in addition to cultivating his own property. After achieving sales of Rs. 120 million last year, he anticipates this year’s revenue to reach around Rs. 160 million, with many newly planted trees beginning to bear fruit.

“I have expanded the orchard my father left unfinished despite years of toil,” Gurung said, reflecting on his efforts to develop the family enterprise. He increases his high-density apple tree count by about 15,000 annually and has prioritized the orchard over other opportunities to fulfill his father’s legacy.

Originally, the orchard was predominantly composed of local apple varieties until 2020. Since then, saplings from Europe and Marang district have been introduced, leading to a substantial share of high-density cultivars within the plantation. Gurung noted that labor shortages now challenge orchard expansion, prompting increased reliance on technology such as drones for tasks including fertilization and overall orchard management.

To support the operation’s marketing efforts, Gurung has trained his son, Yutin, in modern agricultural technologies. The family enterprise, now in its third generation, also benefits from ongoing technical assistance and soil testing carried out by agricultural experts.

The orchard employs around 50 workers year-round for activities like land preparation and pruning, swelling to more than 300 daily-wage laborers during the harvest season. In addition to the apple business, Gurung raises 600 Chyangra goats, 12 horses, and 10 Jersey cows, and maintains a beekeeping operation that generates approximately Rs. 500,000 annually. Sales of dried apples and milk contribute an additional Rs. 200,000. He intends to increase his herd of improved-breed cows to 50 to secure organic manure for the orchard.

Technical support and subsidies from the Agriculture and Livestock Development Office in Mustang, the Temperate Horticulture Development Centre in Marpha, and the Apple Zone Project Implementation Unit under the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project have been instrumental in the orchard’s growth.

Dr. Lalmani Aryal, chief of the Agriculture and Livestock Development Office in Mustang, praised Gurung as the district’s largest apple producer who has prioritized adopting modern farming technologies. Gurung’s produce is marketed directly through his own company, reducing dependence on intermediaries and allowing for greater control over the supply chain.

Final sales data for this year are expected to be released by mid-November.