Mountain Hazelnuts will be carrying out a large-scale grafting programme to increase the nut production by giving the orchards full complement of pollinizer varieties. The company is training about 150 field staff to conduct the grafting program in the country.
The program is expected to cover some 5,000 acres of hazelnut orchards in 15 dzongkhags.
Grafting will be carried for hazelnut trees that give less nut production and also for some trees that are yet to develop fruits.
“Polliniser trees are required for hazelnut to develop fruits. But we distributed production plants earlier than polliniser plants. So, we have initiated grafting program since both plants could not grow in equal length to bear fruits,” Kezang Tshering, the training officer with Mountain Hazelnuts Private Limited, said.
“Grafting is a technique that would fill up those gaps and help increase the production.”
Before the field training in Chagsakhar and Yadi in Monggar, the Mountain Hazelnuts did a pilot experiment at Ngatshang.
“We carried out grafting at Ngatshang hazelnut field on trial basis. And male plant took only one year to bloom and produce fruit. So, after the grafting process, the plant would take only two-year to bear fruits,” Kezang Tshering, said
The grafting program is a part of Mountain Hazelnut’s four-day annual technical conference held in Gyelposhing earlier this month.
Hazelnut growers welcome the new initiative, as they have been challenged with the delay in fruiting.
“Both farmers and Hazelnut Company have agreed to the grafting program. It would help us in increasing our nut production, which will help in generating income for the farmers,” Wangchukla, a farmer from Phosorong in Monggar, said.
Mountain Hazelnuts has launched the grafting program with support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests.
At present, there are over 10,000 households and community groups engaged in hazelnut cultivation.
