BANKE: Nepalgunj-based fruit entrepreneur Premlal Sahu Teli has spent the last four decades tirelessly promoting Karnali apples in western Nepal’s market.
Before the Karnali Highway came into operation, transporting apples from the remote hills of Karnali to the Terai cities was a major challenge. Premlal recalls the early days when apples had to be airlifted to Nepalgunj for sale.
“It was difficult to maintain the quality of the apples due to poor transportation management,” he said. “Earlier, because there was no road, we had to bring them by air. There was a high risk of the apples getting crushed or rotting during transport.”
However, the opening of the Karnali Highway brought a revolutionary change to the trade. Apples are now graded and packed in Jumla before being directly shipped to Terai markets.
“Now that they are properly graded and packed, Karnali apples are of high quality—so much so that they have replaced imported apples,” says Sahu Teli proudly.
The demand for Karnali apples has surged in recent years. Consumers prefer them because no pesticides are used, and their quality has improved significantly.
Premlal, who has been wholesaling Karnali apples in Nepalgunj for four decades, says they now dominate the fruit market in western Nepal. “People choose them because they are both cheaper and better than Indian apples,” he adds.
With improved road connectivity, customers from Surkhet, Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, Butwal, and other cities now actively seek Jumla apples. Attractive in appearance and rich in taste, Karnali apples have won the hearts of general consumers. According to Premlal, Jumli apples are now a common sight in markets across Nepalgunj, Kohalpur, Surkhet, Dang, and Butwal.
As a major wholesaler based in Nepalgunj, Premlal supplies and distributes Karnali’s Red Delicious and Golden Delicious varieties to Lumbini and other cities in the Sudurpaschim Province.
With direct road access, apple shipments from Jumla and other Karnali districts now reach Nepalgunj and Surkhet more efficiently than ever.
Premlal explains that wholesale traders distribute the apples nationwide based on demand, sourcing them from farmers and fruit traders in Jumla. “About 3,000 quintals of Karnali apples were sold from Nepalgunj alone last year,” he says. “This year, we estimate sales will reach around 5,000 quintals.”
According to him, current production meets domestic demand for only about three months. “If the government supports and encourages apple cultivation, production could easily double,” says Premlal.
“With better storage facilities—especially humid environments—Nepali apples could cover half of the country’s annual market demand.”
Today, both farmers and entrepreneurs are investing in apple cultivation across Karnali. Sahu believes that with greater attention to harvesting, grading, and packaging, Karnali apples could successfully capture markets nationwide.
Emphasizing that the success so far is the result of local farmers’ and entrepreneurs’ efforts, he urges the government to prioritize apple farming and introduce incentive-based policies and programs to strengthen the sector.
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