Deliveries of imported products delayed due to lack of equipment

The Government of Nepal has decreed that all imported fruits must undergo chemical testing before customs clearance. But the lack of adequate equipment leads to additional costs for traders and a lot of delay in deliveries.

 

 

 

The new law requires importers to obtain certification, with a chemical residue test with a threshold of 35% maximum. Without this test, the importation of fruits and vegetables is prohibited.

 

 

 

About 15 sites are equipped with quarantine laboratories and 7 RBPR sites (Rapid Bioassay for Pesticide Residue Laboratory), but most of the border customs posts with India do not have a dedicated laboratory. Merchants are forced to send their products to distant laboratories. This leads to additional costs and a lot of delay in deliveries.

 

 

 

Nepalese importers found a significant decrease in volumes from India. They believe that local supply has been able to maintain some price stability but that weak domestic production will not be able to meet long-term demand.