Himachal apple farmers worry as Nepalese workers fly to the Persian Gulf

Farmers in Himachal Pradesh's apple orchards are facing labour shortage as more and more Nepalese labour is moving to the Persian Gulf and the West Asia region in search of relatively high-paying works.

For over half a century Nepalese in large numbers have been coming to Himachal Pradesh's scenic mountains to work as labourers at the apple orchards.

Apple is the largest cash crop of Himachal Pradesh, booming at Rs 3500 crore as more and more land comes under apple cultivation every year.

The biggest concern in the last couple of years for farm owners is shortage of labour as Nepalese are choosing to go to Dubai and Qatar with hopes of making more money.

"After working in Himachal Pradesh's apple orchards for the last ten years I am now set to go to the Gulf. Many young men in my area are preparing to leave. We are waiting for our passports and work visas," said Vishnu Bahadur,a Nepalese-origin worker.

"Even though I cannot take my family along, it is worth as I hope to send back handsome sum," he added.

The flight of labour overseas is bound to hit farm work in Himachal mid-hills which produces a third of India's apple.

Most of the works at the apple orchard has been traditionally done by Nepalese men who are at ease in this harsh Himalayan terrain. The work involves carrying big loads on the steep terrain to the nearest godown or road head.

"Believe me, only Nepalese can do this tough work as they come from the land of the Everest. Thanks to the very steep mountains scope for mechanised farming is limited here," said Rajeev Chauhan, chairman of the Himalayan apple growers' society.

Although there are no exact numbers available but thousands of Nepalese young men descend from Nepal to work in Himachal's apple farms every summer for the harvest and return home in a few months. Some choose to stay back with their families and manage the orchard for much of the year.

"Gorkhas have now started going to the Gulf, West Asia and even Malaysia. Also, they prefer to work on infrastructure projects in other Indian cities. So we are facing a shortage and the position will get worse in coming years," says Chauhan. "Nepalese labour wages have doubled in the last five years as the demand continues to grow," says Ranjeet Mehta, another local farmer.

Despite extreme heat and the stories of poor working and living conditions in the Gulf, for these hill men there is a huge rush to leave and ignore Himachal Pradesh as the attraction to make handsome money is irresistible for them.

With the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kathmandu and promise to help Nepal in tapping its huge hydro electric potential to light up power deficit northern India, ties between the two neighbours seems to be on good track. Besides Himachal Pradesh, Nepalese are sprinkled in other parts of India working in different sectors as labourers, watchmen and other menial jobs but now greener pastures overseas are attracting them.