Mustang produces over Rs 1 billion worth of apples this year

MUSTANG: Apple production in Mustang has surpassed Rs 1.1 billion in value this year, marking a notable increase from last year.

According to the Agricultural Knowledge Center, Mustang produced 7,636 metric tons of apples this year—up from 7,238 metric tons in the previous year.

Center chief Rajesh Gurung stated that the production figures were compiled through coordinated monitoring efforts involving agricultural technicians, local-level agricultural offices, and farmers, using the crop-cutting method across various orchards.

Of the total apples produced this year, 80%—around 6,108 metric tons—were exported outside the district, generating revenue of Rs 860.184 million. An additional 763 metric tons, valued at Rs 112.03 million, were consumed locally. Another 763 metric tons of apples remain to be harvested.

This year’s production includes 6,069 metric tons of local apple varieties and 1,567 metric tons of high-density hybrid apples. The total cultivated area comprises 832 hectares for local varieties and 60 hectares for hybrid varieties.

Apples from local varieties generated Rs 788.97 million, while hybrid apples contributed Rs 313.4 million in revenue. Local apples are currently being sold at Rs 130 per kg in Mustang, whereas hybrid apples fetch up to Rs 200 per kg.

In terms of productivity, local apple yield per hectare stood at 10.41 metric tons, a slight drop from last year’s 10.74 metric tons. However, high-density hybrid apples saw a rise in yield, increasing from 25 metric tons per hectare last year to 26.12 metric tons this year. The combined per-hectare productivity across both types is 11.87 metric tons.

According to Gurung, while lower Mustang experienced a slight decline in local apple production, yields in the upper regions remained unaffected. The overall rise in output is attributed to an expansion in the cultivation area.

Local apple-growing land increased by 17 hectares—from 566 hectares last year to 583 hectares this year—while the area under hybrid apple cultivation expanded by 10 hectares, from 50 to 60 hectares.