Apples from Thar: Rajasthan farmers cultivate a taste of Himalayas

JAIPUR: The Thar in Rajasthan stretches duney and dry. Summer temperatures climb to a blistering 49°C. But the desert is changing. A fruit synonymous with the Himalayas has found an unexpected home in this sea of sand and scorching sun. Apples - red and ripe. What seemed impossible is now a flourishing reality for farmers in Sikar and Jhunjhunu districts, defying conventional wisdom about the fruit's need for cool climates.

Santosh Khedar, a farmer from Beri village in Sikar, never imagined her small experiment would turn into a successful apple orchard. A single sapling given to her in 2015 by National Innovation Foundation in Gujarat has multiplied into a thriving apple farm yielding more than 6,000kg of fruit each season.

"Since we have a certificate of organic farming from Rajasthan Organic Certification Agency, if the market price for apples from Himachal and Kashmir is Rs 100 a kg, we are selling it at Rs 150/kg," said Santosh's son Rahul, who studied agriculture, determined to ensure the family farm continued to thrive.

The family had long grown lemon, guava, and sweet lime on their 1.25-acre farm, but an apple tree seemed like a fantasy. "We were initially sceptical," Santosh said. "We watered the plant and used organic fertilisers as needed. A year later, we saw apples growing on it."

Her neighbours laughed at the idea. Apples? Here? They shook their heads at the thought. But Santosh's tree did not care for their disbelief. In its second year, it bore nearly 40kg of fruit.

The secret to this unexpected success lies in the HRMN-99 apple variety, specifically developed to withstand extreme temperatures. "This variety can grow in arid regions where summer temperatures exceed 40°C," Rahul said. Encouraged by the results, Santosh and her family acquired more saplings and used grafting techniques to expand their orchard to 100 trees. "Ab to paani bhi koni laage jyada (Now, we barely need extra water)," she said.

Apple trees require little irrigation once they mature. "By the time the plant is five years old, it only needs watering once every two weeks," deputy director of horticulture Madan Lal Jat said. "Flowering begins in Feb and the apples are ready for harvest by June."

Those who once scoffed at Santosh are now eager to follow in her footsteps. "Jo manya konya ve ib podho maange hai," she said in her native dialect, meaning: "Those who didn't believe now ask for a sapling." In nearby Katrathal village, farmer Mohit Chaudhary has cultivated 50 apple trees. Horticulture official Jat sees a growing trend. "Ten years ago, people in Barmer cultivated dates and pomegranates. Now, we have farmers growing strawberries in Chittorgarh and Bhilwara," he said. "In five years, apple farming could spread across more regions," he said.

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