Apple cultivation around Rara

The common people of villages and settlements below Rara Lake, which is 2929 meters above sea level, have left other crops and started enjoying apple cultivation. In order to attract more domestic and foreign tourists to visit Rara, the locals have given priority to apple cultivation.

Jai Bahadur Mall of Chhaynath Rara Municipality-1 has 6 hectares in Lamachaur 1800 apple trees have been planted by digging barren land. It takes an hour to reach Rara Lake from the village. Apple farming will attract more tourists coming here,' he said.

Some people of Talitum village and all the farmers of Mathitum village have started apple cultivation. The seeds are grown within about 3 years of planting.

Locals of Karkibada, Jhapagard, Sayankhola and Harnikandh, Ghimkhola villages have also started planting apples on the land below Rara Lake. The land in the middle area around Rara will be irrigated by the water of Rara lake and because more apples will grow in that area, the locals are attracted.

Kammarsih Khadka of Municipality-3 Mathitum village, where apples are grown on the land in the middle area, told that the tourists visiting Rara would be able to buy and take away apples as koseli. "Since the arrival of the motor road and the increase in the number of tourists, we have put more emphasis on apple cultivation," he said.

Locals of a dozen villages including Talch, Jhayari, Pina and other villages near Rara Lake have also started to earn income by planting apples on their land. The Rara airport near the village has made it easier to sell apples, so the locals have emphasized on apple cultivation. After the tourists who come to visit Rara buy apples and take them away, the local people in apple production have started paying attention.

After the tourists reached the village and started buying apples, the locals started planting apple trees in their orchards. How good is apple cultivation above Rara and below? Nanda Bahadur Rawal, the ward chairman of Municipality-3, said, 'Locals have insisted on growing apples in the central area of ​​Rara Park.'

Karkibada, Talch, Mathitum, Pina, Jhayari, Jhapagard, Maitu, Ghimkhola and other slums around Rara area alone produce 12 metric tons of apples annually. 50 percent of the apples produced in the field are sold in the district and 50 percent of the apples are sold in the city by car. 35 per kg in the district and Rs. 35 per kg in the city Farmers say that apples are sold at 65 rupees.