Imported fruits worth Rs7.58 billion in Q1
Nepal imported fresh fruits worth Rs7.58 billion (€57.4 mln) in the first three months of the curren…Nepal imported fresh fruits worth Rs7.58 billion (€57.4 mln) in the first three months of the current fiscal year, up from Rs4.74 billion (€35.9 mln) in the same period last year, officials said. The rise in imports has been attributed to a slowdown in local production, as well as growing demand.
According to the statistics of the Department of Customs, fresh apples are the top import. Nepal imported apples valued at Rs1.66 billion during the review period.
Fruits like grape, banana, watermelon, papaya, guava, mango, kiwi, quince and pear are among the top imports. Nepal also imported avocado, fig, date and citrus fruits. Fresh fruits, in addition to dried fruits and sweets, are the fastest selling items during Tihar, the second largest festival of Hindus.
Binod Raj Pandey, general secretary of the Fruits Wholesalers’ Association, said fruit imports during Tihar account for around 40 percent of the annual import bill. According to him, imported products account for 90 percent of the turnover during the festival. “Among them, banana, sweet orange and orange are among the popular domestic products.”
As reported by kathmandupost.ekantipur.com¸ Nepal gets its apples from China, India, New Zealand and the US, with India and China being the major source countries. Other major fruits like banana, orange, grape, pomegranate and mango are mostly imported from India.