Hundreds of Naga villagers are now engaged in the cultivation of the fruit on a mass scale, although they are yet to reap commercial gains from the produce in the absence of transportation.
The story began in the late 70s when armed conflicts between Naga insurgents and security forces were at their peak, prompting the Assam Rifles to erect a check post at Thanamir village nestled in the Saramati range.
During this time a government-appointed village guard from Thanamir had befriended a Nepali soldier belonging to the Assam Rifles posted at the check post.
The soldier gifted him the saplings in 1980 which the villager planted in the backyard of his house.
The village guard taught himself to multiply the apple plants through root cutting and distributed them to his fellow villagers.
As the fruits grew in most of the households of the village, the Thalami apples started to spread to other villages around the Saramati range due to its suitable climate where average temperature ranges between two to 20 degrees celsius.
Visiting government officials found the first sapling to be still standing there at Thanamir village - a full grown tree now.
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