Monkeys wreak havoc in apple orchards

By Sher Bahadur Sharki, Bajura, July 23: Farmers in Bajura are increasingly worried about how to protect their apple plantations from monkeys.

Since the second week of July, monkeys have started entering orchards from nearby forests, eating some apples and knocking many others from trees, causing growing concern among local farmers.

Apple cultivation has expanded in Budhinanda Municipality and the rural municipalities of Himali, Swamikartik Khapar and Jagannath. Farmers turned to apple farming in recent years after seeing its strong income potential.

Although apple production has long been suitable in the district, the lack of roads had previously made it difficult to transport produce to markets. With road access now reaching most settlements, farmers have found it easier to sell apples and have increasingly shifted their focus from traditional crops to fruit farming.

In the past, monkeys mainly damaged food crops and caused little harm to apples. However, since early July this year, they have also begun attacking apple orchards. Farmers usually harvest apples from mid-August to October and sell them in markets. But the recent monkey attacks have raised fears that much of this year's crop may be lost before harvesting begins.

Manoj Kami of Dhadakot in Jagannath Rural Municipality-1 said there are around 3,000 to 4,000 apple trees in Kalajur, Nauli, Kalapani and Dopka areas.

According to him, around 400 to 500 families, including Bishwokarma, Giri, Rokaya, Bogati, Khatri and Upadhyaya households, planted apple saplings in 2014 and 2015. The trees have started yielding good harvests since last year.

He said some farmers earned more than Rs. 35,000 by selling apples directly from their orchards last year. However, this year monkeys entered the orchards before contractors arrived and destroyed much of the crop.

Magya Sarki of Dhadakot said he had earned some income from apple sales last year, which helped support his family expenses. “This year, monkeys entered the orchard in the first week of July and destroyed almost all the apples. Now I am worried about how to support my family,” he said.

Another local, KP Sarki, said he had taken up apple farming believing it would provide a better livelihood than traditional crops. “I have around 150 apple trees. Last year, I earned around Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 from apple sales,” he said.

“The apples had grown well this year too and I hoped to use the income to cover Dashain expenses. But monkeys have destroyed everything, shattering my hopes.” Previously, only local apple varieties were cultivated in Bajura. Farmers are now growing improved varieties, including Gala and Fuji apples.

Apple cultivation is spread across around 170 hectares of land in the district. According to Jasiram Sahani, chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Bajura produced about 1,020 metric tonnes of apples last year, some of which were sold in different districts across the country.

He said the office could help farmers control diseases affecting crops, but had no effective measures to deal with monkey attacks. “Farmers may need to hire guards during the fruiting season to protect their orchards. We do not have any other solution to prevent monkey damage,” he said.

Monkey attacks have become one of the biggest challenges facing farmers in the district. Local governments also admit that they do not have a concrete plan to protect crops from the animals.

Subash Aidi, information officer at the Division Forest Office, Bajura, said there were no immediate measures to prevent monkey attacks. However, relief support could be arranged after assessing the losses and receiving recommendations.

Chief District Officer Dorendra Niraula said farmers suffer heavy losses every year due to monkeys, but the government currently has no effective long-term solution. “We can collect details of the damage and forward them to the forest authorities. Farmers may then receive some relief assistance,” he said.