JUMLA: Apple farmers in Jumla exported 21,000 plus metric tons of apples so far this year.

Acting Chief of Agriculture Development Office, Jumla, Ganesh Bahadur Adhikari said that the quantity of apples was exported from all eight local levels in the district.

Despite locals’ attraction to apple farming in Jumla in recent years, apple production has decreased 40 percent this year compared to the previous year.

Likewise, the Office is collecting data on entire apple production from the district.

Complete data on the apple production from the district will be availed after some weeks, Information Officer of Agriculture Development Office Sher Bahadur Bhandari added.

The district produces different species of apple including Jumli, Italy, Gala, Fuji, Jona Prince and others.

Currently, the traders from the nearby districts are reaching out the farmers by visiting the apple orchards in Jumla district, it is said.

The traders have flocked to the Sinja Valley in Jumla. Likewise, the local levels in Jumla have issued notice to the farmers asking them to collect apples only after September.

Yubraj Neupane, a local trader, said that the businesspersons have come here from Surkhet, Nepalgunj, Dang, Dhangadhi and Butwal to purchase the apple with the nearing Teej festival.

In Jumla, around 16,000 households rely on apple farming and apple is grown in 4,250 hectares of land.