DARJEELING: The directorate of cinchona plantation and other medicinal plants has launched a pilot project to cultivate apples at Mungpo in the Kurseong subdivision of the Hills. If the experiment bears fruit, it could help boost the local economy.
"We have chosen Sepi, located at 9000 feet, for the first phase as it has the requisite weather conditions to grow apples. It is similar to that of Himachal Pradesh from where we have brought the saplings," said Gyan Chandra Subba, the cinchona plantation director. A total of 4000 free apple tree saplings have been provided to 50-odd farmers for the experiment.
In what could be a path breaking experiment that is expected to provide the much needed boost to the local economy of the region, the directorate of Cinchona Plantation and Other Medicinal Plants has started a pilot project of planting apples at Mungpoo, in the Kurseong sub-division of Darjeeling.
Still in its infant stage, the directorate though is optimist and hope that the experimental project would be taken up in other places of the Hills having the required atmosphere. In the initial stage fifty farmers have been provided with free apple saplings to plant in their land.
"It is encouraging to see that the people have liked the idea of growing apples. Though this is only an experimental project but we hope to take this up aggressively in the days to come if it becomes a success," Gyan Chandra Subba, the cinchona plantation director.
For the first phase the area of Sepi in Rimbick in Kalimpong has been chosen to plant the apple saplings as the weather there is conducive to growing the fruit. "We have chosen Sepi to pilot the project as it has the requisite weather conditions to grow apples. It is similar to that of Himachal Pradesh from where we have brought the fruits," said Subba.
"The climate and topography of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir which are famous for its apples are similar to that of Darjeeling Hills. Sepi located at around 9000 feet with cold weather condition is ideal we thought," he added. According to the director, the cinchona plantation has provided about 4000 free apple tree saplings to the 50 odd farmers.
"We have given fifty farmers five varieties of apples that we brought from Himachal Pradesh. In one acre of private land 115 apple saplings have been planted. The project though was started back in 2011 and is in continuation process," Subba said. "However we are waiting for the tree to bear fruits which will most probably start from 2015," he said adding, that presently looking at the growth of the trees, the results seemed to be positive.
Completely on a social service basis without any profits to the cinchona plantation, the farmers though will have to do their own marketing and selling of the apples once it is fully grown. "Like I said earlier, this is completely an experimental project and so the farmers will have to do their own marketing and selling in the local market. But one this is definite that we will take it up in a large scale once in future," said Subba.
The cinchona plantation will indentify other locations in the Hills where such project could be started to ensure a sustainable supply of the fruit. "We are in the process of identifying other places in the Hills where similar project could be started. Let us see what happens," said Subba. In fact, the Cinchona Plantation as part of its other such programs has also started cultivating mushroom, saffron, ginseng, rubber and cardamom in 26000 hectares of plantation land in Latpanchar in Kurseong and Rongo and Mungsong in the Kalimpong sub-divisions.
"We have chosen Sepi, located at 9000 feet, for the first phase as it has the requisite weather conditions to grow apples. It is similar to that of Himachal Pradesh from where we have brought the saplings," said Gyan Chandra Subba, the cinchona plantation director. A total of 4000 free apple tree saplings have been provided to 50-odd farmers for the experiment.
In what could be a path breaking experiment that is expected to provide the much needed boost to the local economy of the region, the directorate of Cinchona Plantation and Other Medicinal Plants has started a pilot project of planting apples at Mungpoo, in the Kurseong sub-division of Darjeeling.
Still in its infant stage, the directorate though is optimist and hope that the experimental project would be taken up in other places of the Hills having the required atmosphere. In the initial stage fifty farmers have been provided with free apple saplings to plant in their land.
"It is encouraging to see that the people have liked the idea of growing apples. Though this is only an experimental project but we hope to take this up aggressively in the days to come if it becomes a success," Gyan Chandra Subba, the cinchona plantation director.
For the first phase the area of Sepi in Rimbick in Kalimpong has been chosen to plant the apple saplings as the weather there is conducive to growing the fruit. "We have chosen Sepi to pilot the project as it has the requisite weather conditions to grow apples. It is similar to that of Himachal Pradesh from where we have brought the fruits," said Subba.
"The climate and topography of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir which are famous for its apples are similar to that of Darjeeling Hills. Sepi located at around 9000 feet with cold weather condition is ideal we thought," he added. According to the director, the cinchona plantation has provided about 4000 free apple tree saplings to the 50 odd farmers.
"We have given fifty farmers five varieties of apples that we brought from Himachal Pradesh. In one acre of private land 115 apple saplings have been planted. The project though was started back in 2011 and is in continuation process," Subba said. "However we are waiting for the tree to bear fruits which will most probably start from 2015," he said adding, that presently looking at the growth of the trees, the results seemed to be positive.
Completely on a social service basis without any profits to the cinchona plantation, the farmers though will have to do their own marketing and selling of the apples once it is fully grown. "Like I said earlier, this is completely an experimental project and so the farmers will have to do their own marketing and selling in the local market. But one this is definite that we will take it up in a large scale once in future," said Subba.
The cinchona plantation will indentify other locations in the Hills where such project could be started to ensure a sustainable supply of the fruit. "We are in the process of identifying other places in the Hills where similar project could be started. Let us see what happens," said Subba. In fact, the Cinchona Plantation as part of its other such programs has also started cultivating mushroom, saffron, ginseng, rubber and cardamom in 26000 hectares of plantation land in Latpanchar in Kurseong and Rongo and Mungsong in the Kalimpong sub-divisions.
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