Mugu, Sept. 16 -- This year's monsoon rains severely damaged the 94-km long Gamgadhi-Nagma road stretch in Mugu, along the Karnali Highway, rendering the only road that connects the district with the rest of the country impassable. Farmers in the district who rely on the road to transport their produce, mostly apples, to trade hubs like Nepalgunj and Surkhet faced bleak circumstances.

Mugu's apples are in high demand for their crunch and sweetness. They are usually sold for Rs70 to Rs75 per kilogram in the markets in Surkhet and Nepalgunj. During the harvest season, an apple farmer expects to make at least Rs600,000.

But this season, most of their produce did not make it to the markets.

Hari Rokaya, a farmer from Talcha in Chhayanath R...