For generations, apple farming in Jumla has relied largely on experience, observation, and intuition. Today, that is changing.
It has been 1.5 years since digital farming technologies were first introduced in the apple orchards of Tatopani Municipality in Jumla through the UNDP-supported Renewable Energy for Resilient Agri-Food Systems (RERAS) project. What started as a small test to modernize traditional farming is now making a real, practical difference for local communities.

The Digital Solution Behind Smarter Apple Farming

The core of this project is the Super Krishak Ecosystem, a complete digital farming toolkit designed to make orchard management easier and more precise. This ecosystem works through three key components:

• Agriculture IoT Sensors: Small, solar-powered devices (Krishi Meters) are installed directly in the apple orchards. They act as the “eyes” on the ground, constantly measuring crucial details like soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient levels, as well as atmospheric temperature and humidity.
• Farm Monitoring Portal: All the data collected by the sensors is sent to a central online portal. This allows agricultural experts and local representatives to easily track the real-time health and weather conditions of the orchards from anywhere.
• Super Krishak App & Direct Alerts: The system turns this technical data into practical advice for the farmers. Through the Super Krishak app and direct phone calls, farmers receive easy-to-understand alerts. Instead of guessing, they are told exactly when their soil needs water, when to add fertilizer, and how to prepare for upcoming weather risks.

Real Impacts on the Ground

Over the past 490 days, the system has operated continuously without interruption, proving the reliability of digital agriculture technologies even in remote mountain regions. The project currently delivers direct benefits to 35 households and indirectly supports 61 households in the area.

According to Tatopani Municipality Chairman Nanda Prasad Chaulagain, the impact has been both immediate and practical:

• Precision Farming: Farmers now receive alerts when soil moisture reaches critical levels or when fertilizer application is required. Interestingly, direct phone calls have proven even more effective than SMS notifications, ensuring that farmers receive and act on important recommendations.
• Early Weather Warnings: The system provides advance warnings about heavy rain or dry spells, allowing farmers to protect their crops before bad weather hits.
• Easier Crop Insurance: In the past, farmers struggled to claim crop insurance because official weather stations were too far away to prove local damage. Now, the data from these orchard sensors can be used to supplement insurance claims, reducing the stress of disputes and delayed payouts.

Ready to Expand: A Local Investment

Although the project currently covers only a small portion of Tatopani’s apple orchards, its success has generated strong confidence among local leaders.

Chairman Chaulagain has strongly requested the expansion of this digital farming system across all wards of the municipality. Recognizing the massive benefits to local apple growers, Tatopani Municipality is highly willing to invest its own funds to support this growth. By co-investing and continuing its partnership with the UNDP, the local government hopes to ensure that every apple farmer in Tatopani has the tools they need to grow better, stronger crops in the years to come.

This commitment reflects an important shift from viewing digital agriculture as a pilot project to recognizing it as essential infrastructure for the future of farming in Nepal.

This blog post is drawn from an interview conducted with Nanda Prasad Chalulagain, the chairman of Tatopani Rural Municipality in Jumla.

Contributed by – Kiran Timilsina, Head of Agri-Services