Engineer to son by selling apples

After there was no other work to earn income, he planted 65 apple trees and established an orchard in 2052. At that time, per apple plant was two rupees. At that time, it was difficult to pay two rupees to buy plants. It started producing within three years of planting. Then the plants were added. Now there are 365 apple trees in his garden. All plants bear fruit. He said that the annual income from apples is 3 to 4 lakh rupees in the last two to three years.

Ratna Bahadur told that his 23-year-old son Dinesh Bhandari is studying civil engineering in Kathmandu with the income from apples. Dinesh, who is studying in Ekmi College, is also doing well. Before that, Dinesh studied at NASA College. He said that nearly 40 lakhs had been spent on his son's education after SEE.

"Although I have to kill many hopes due to lack of expenses, I will not allow any obstacle in the future of my children," Ratna Bahadur said, "I have raised 13 cows of local and advanced breeds for the fertilizer needed in the apple orchard. I have opened a dairy on my own initiative in Kalekholi of the headquarters Khalanga to sell cow's milk. Even by selling milk, I am earning 15,000 to 20,000 per month.'

Ratna Bahadur has not only taught engineering to his son, but also made his daughter Meena an armed police officer. My daughter Sangeeta is studying survey subject. After completing her JTA, the younger daughter is now studying class 12 from Chandannath High School. Eldest daughter Mayadevi has passed her graduation. As three daughters are married, there are only four people in Ratna Bahadur's house. I studied up to class 10 because the house was not strong. I could not go further than that,' he said, 'I am happy that I was able to start apple farming in time and give good education to my children.'

Ratna Bahadur has been selling apples for the past 25 years. So far, he has earned up to 50 lakh rupees from apple farming alone. He said, 'As much as I earned from apples, I spent it on children.' At this time, Ratna Bahadur is busy picking apples. Till last year he picked apples from August 15, this year he is picking apples in the first week. He says that apples are ripening faster due to the change in climate. This time, the color of the apple came quickly. The bags were also filled quickly,' he said, 'Nowadays there is a difference in the season of apple ripening.'

He is giving employment to four people every year to pick apples in the apple orchard and for Godmel. Farmers are selling apples from the garden at Rs 70 per kg. Apple production has declined this year due to prolonged drought. He is ready to sell up to four lakh apples.

It doesn't taste like it used to, it looks like it's ripe on time, the size of the tree and grain is decreasing. District Agriculture Development Office Jumla also gave him the Best Chief Minister Farmer Award for his passion for apple farming. He is happy that the apples, which are growing and bearing fruit in the dry season, have brought a lot of change in his life. "In the beginning, no one believed when we planted the saplings," he said.

Once Superzone and Agriculture Office made a water tank worth 3/3 lakh by collecting rain water and winter snow. Apart from that, he is sad about not getting government facilities. "Farmers' subsidies have reached the hands of middlemen. There is no investment in agricultural production. There are no good markets and roads,'' he said.