GORKHA: Farmers at Dharche Rural Municipality in the northern belt of Gorkha has started commercial apple farming.

According to Santosh Gurung, chairman of Dharche Rural Municipality said that the rural municipality has distributed 1,400 saplings of improved species of apple in its all seven wards to promote collective apple farming in the first phase.

He said the rural municipality has come up with the concept to support the livelihoods of earthquake survivors with the assistance of Gandaki Ministry of State for Physical Infrastructures and Development.

“Now we have distributed 200 apple saplings in each ward”, Gurung said, adding, the saplings are being planted to promote the plan of commercial apple farming.