Rainfall impacts apple blossoms in Mustang, production likely to decline

KATHMANDU: Continuous rainfall during the blossoming season has adversely affected apple orchards in Mustang, particularly those with local apple varieties. Experts now predict a significant drop in apple production this year.

According to Padmanath Atreya, Chief of the Temperate Horticulture Development Centre, Marpha, the number of blossoms on local apple trees was already unusually low this season.

The persistent rain and wind further damaged the few blossoms that did appear, hindering fruit formation.

“Last year, there was a profusion of blossoms which led to a bumper apple harvest. However, this year, the energy stored in the trees was considerably lower, resulting in fewer flowers. Even those that bloomed were negatively affected by the wet and windy weather,” Atreya explained. “For apple trees to bloom abundantly, they need sufficient stored energy, which often gets depleted after a high-yield season.”

Mustang produced 7,330 metric tons of apples last year, a 734-metric-ton increase compared to the previous year.

But this year, production is expected to drop sharply, especially among local varieties.

Despite these setbacks, high-density hybrid apple trees have shown resilience. “We conducted field inspections in Kobang, Tukuche, Marpha, Syang, Thini, Jomsom, and Muktinath. While local varieties had very few blossoms, hybrid apple trees remained largely unaffected,” said Atreya, emphasizing that hybrid cultivation is likely to maintain stable yields this season.

Weather conditions have been broadly unfavorable for apple cultivation this year. Blossoms require stable, dry weather to turn into fruit.

However, the persistent rainfall and fog during the flowering period have disrupted this natural process.

Early-blooming fruit varieties have already set fruit and were not significantly affected. In contrast, mid-season varieties, which bloom later, have suffered due to continued rainfall and poor visibility, Atreya added.

Variations in altitude and temperature across Mustang have also led to uneven blooming patterns—some trees bloomed earlier and already bear fruit, while others are still in the flowering stage.

Local farmer Saroj Tulachan of Tukuche, Thasang-1, confirmed the trend. “There are noticeably fewer blossoms on local apple trees this year, and the weather hasn’t been favorable,” he said. “But the high-density, technology-based hybrid apple orchards haven’t been affected.”