Former Army man finds NE's potentials to ground Apple orchards

Low chilling apple varieties spring opportunity for horticulture farming in the region

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

BOKAJAN, March 17: Unlike the traditiol beliefs that apples can only be grown in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir; a research on some grafted Apple plants has yielded positive results, with two varieties viz ‘An Spur’ and ‘Dorset Golden’, bearing fruits at ‘ITI Ben Nursery Cum Study Centre’ here at Khatkhati in East Karbi Anglong.

In India, apples are traditiolly grown in the Himalayan belt owing to its cold weather conditions. However, these low chilling varieties are aimed at changing the economy of the warmer areas which are deprived of apple revolution. These grafted varieties reportedly have potentials to be grown in relatively warmer areas upto 4000 feet above the sea level. These varieties being introduced requires very less chilling hours of roughly around 200 hours other than the traditiol variety which takes over a minimum 800 hour of chilling.

75-year-old Maj Harvansh K Sharma,  who has brought forward this unique idea of horticulture farming in Northeast, proudly revealed this to ‘The Sentinel’ at his residence cum Nursery center here on Friday.

“The trees have started bearing fruits in just three years of plantation. The fruits have also started showing shades of red colour and will be ready for harvest in month of May/June. These varieties don’t require any chemical fertilizer to yield production and can be raised in an organic manner,” he added.

Besides huge scopes of apple plantation in Northeast, Major Sharma lamented the role of the government at providing the required fincial and technical support for developing apple orchards in the region. “Some farmers have already maged to grow these varieties in galand. But, they are yet to reap any commercial gains from the produce due to the lack of transportation and the apathy of the concerned departments.”

“I see the potential of self sufficiency and quick profits in raising apple orchards. Combition of its sweet and sour taste, the fruit will also encourage the growth of cottage industries and processing units in the region,” Sharma said.

Major Sharma, who hails from Solan in Himachal Pradesh has married a ga woman and has settled here at Khatkhati, a few kilometres form the Assam-galand interstate border in the hill district of Karbi Anglong.

Having found his passion in documentary making and horticulture farming, Major Sharma has been fighting a different battle since retirement.

Sharma, during his short stint in the Army from 1964 to 1972, was stationed at Northeast where he developed a keen urge to do something for the peoples of the region. Sharma was instrumental in making several documentaries on Northeastern cultures and traditions.

Sharma also developed a concept of horticulture tourism aiming to introduce horticulture as an economically viable means to generate employment and divert youths from the disruptive activities of insurgency. Sharma had been conferred with the tiol Award of Excellence by the Union Ministry of Tourism and Culture. He had also been in the panel of Doordarshan, IGNOU and the Union Ministry of Agriculture.

Over the years, Major Sharma has been developing his idea of Horticulture Tourism by arranging packaged tours for the Northeastern farmers to Himachal Pradesh. The farmers are exposed to the latest technologies of Horticulture farming there besides interaction with agricultural scientist and other progressive horticulture farmers aimed at educating tourist farmers conserve environment by developing wasteland and other fertile ground into horticulture farms.

Besides apples, Northeast also has a good scope for cultivation of pecan nut, a nut generally known to be superior in quality to walnut. Pecan nuts are particularly rich in antioxidants and it helps cut cardiac diseases and lower the risk of cancer in humans. Pecan Nut trees can be grown at an elevation of 500 to 1500 metres and is also said to have better tolerance to drought conditions because of its tap root system. It also does well in high rain fall areas,” Sharma said.