Though Bumthang has favourable climatic conditions for growing apples, apple farming is on the decline in the district. Bumthang was once considered one of the four major apple-growing districts in Bhutan.
Most farmers say this is due to lack of a bigger market and low price of the fruit at the district’s only apple market, which is a local fruit-processing unit.
It is the apple-harvesting season in Bumthang. Not many farmers grow apples there now. People have either abandoned their apple trees or converted apple orchards for growing other crops and building houses. Those with apple trees do not put in much effort in improving the yield or quality of the fruit. Farmers say this is mainly because they do not get as much returns as their hard work in maintaining and nurturing apple trees.
“The only place where we can sell our apples is the Fruit Processing Unit in Bathpalathang. The price is not as good as in other districts at the unit. That’s why people are not much into apple farming now. We don’t even manure the trees or prune them. We just pluck the fruits when they are ripe enough. Actually apple thrives well here if we nurture them properly,” said Pema, from Nangar in Chhumig Gewog, Bumthang.
“Apple doesn’t fetch good price here. My apple trees are quite old now and they have started bearing lesser fruits each year. So I want to cut them down and convert the land into a paddy or potato field,” said Dechen Pelden, from Nyangzey Lhakhang in Chhumig Gewog, Bumthang.
The Fruit Processing Unit in Bathpalathang located about a kilometre away from Chamkhar town is a private firm where most of Bumthang’s apples are sold. Juice, wine and other products are made there. However, the unit now has its own share of problems. Each year the quantity of apples brought is decreasing. To encourage farmers in producing more apples, this year the unit revised the price of apples between Nu 9 to 15 per kilogram depending on the quality of the apples. For several years in the past, farmers would only fetch between Nu 3 to 7 a kilo, which they said, was very less.
“Apple production has decreased drastically in Bumthang over the years. In the past, our unit used to get apple supplies, which would last for at least three months. Now the supplies won’t even last a month. The quality of apples brought here is not so good, that’s why the price is not that high as well. Moreover, we even accept poor quality apples,” said Sangay Dorji, from the Fruit Processing Unit in Bathpalathang, Bumthang.
The Dzongkhag Agriculture sector has plans to increase fruits and nuts production in its current Five Year Plan budget. The Dzongkhag Agriculture Officer said besides other agriculture-related activities, the sector will focus on horticulture through maintenance of apple, pear, soft-shell walnut and plum trees currently growing in the district. The office also plans to introduce new and improved varieties in the current Five Year Plan. Meanwhile, the shrinking of apple orchards is a common phenomenon in the major apple growing districts in the country with more and more apple orchards lost to developmental works and conversion for other purposes.
Kipchu
