Surkhet, June 6 -- The apple orchard of Banche Mahatara in Chhayanath Rara Municipality of Mugu is heavily laden with fruit this year. He has planted around 1,000 apple trees on nearly 10 ropanis of land; 600 of them bear fruit.

"The harvest looks good this year. The branches are bending under the weight of apples," he said. "The fruit will start ripening from mid-September, but concerns about prices and markets have already begun."

Last year, Mahatara produced nearly eight tonnes of apples and supplied five tonnes to Nepalgunj. But then landslides blocked the Karnali Highway during the peak harvest season.

"The highway remained closed for five days due to landslides, leading apples to rot on the way," he said. "When the highway shuts ...