Nepal continues to import fruits massively

According to the latest statistics from the Customs Department, in the first 3 months of the current financial year 2022/23 Nepal spent NPR 3.83 billion (USD 29.3 million) on its fruit imports.

 

Imports of apples greatly exceed those of other fruits with an amount of 2.24 billion NPR (17.1 million USD) over this period. The main supplier country is India with an amount of 1.49 billion NPR (11.4 million USD), well ahead of China with 757 million NPR (5.8 million USD).

 

However, Nepal has good potential for producing apples which are grown in several districts such as Manang, Mustang, Jumla and Mugu. Nepali growers believe government authorities failed to help and support the sector when the country could have become self-sufficient in apples.

 

Among the other fruits imported by Nepal over the same period: pomegranate with an amount of 297 million NPR (2.2 million USD), lemon with an amount of 170 million NPR (1.3 million USD), orange with an amount of 148 million (1.1 million USD), banana with an amount of 162.3 million NPR (1.2 million USD), watermelon with an amount of 110 million NPR (0.8 million USD), the kiwi with an amount of 29 million NPR (0.2 million USD).

 

In recent years, Nepal has seen an increase in the value of its fruit imports: NPR 14.90 billion (USD 114.2 million) in FY 2019/20, then NPR 16.52 billion (USD 126. USD 6 million) in fiscal year 2020/21 and NPR 17.46 billion (USD 133.8 million) in fiscal year 2021/22.