Vegetable imports through Sunauli customs soar to Rs 1.5 billion

VEGETABLE imports have soared despite increased production in the country as demand outstrips supply. Nepal imported 133,000 tonnes of vegetables worth Rs 1.51 billion through the Sunauli-Belhiya border point in fiscal 2012- 13, according to the Regional Plant Quarantine Office, Belhiya. Imports were worth Rs 1.08 billion in the previous fiscal year 2011-12. Sunauli-Belhiya is the major point through which Indian vegetables enter Nepal. Of the total amount of vegetables imported last year, potatœs made up the largest imports with 60,700 tonnes worth Rs 546 million. Similarly, 58,300 tonnes of onions worth Rs 816 million entered the country. “The trend of importing vegetables from India has been increasing annually,” said Quarantine Officer Uma Shankar Pathak. “Exports of local vegetables to India, however, is negligible.” Vegetables including, potato, onion, cauliflower, radish, eggplant, pea, cucumber, chilli, bitter gourd, gourd, squash, capsicum, bean, cabbage, peduncle and leafy vegetables are imported in the largest quantities from India. According to Nepal Rastra Bank, imports of vegetables from India jumped 74.8 percent to Rs 4.16 billion as of the first 11 months of the last fiscal year. The country witnessed a surge in vegetable imports despite increased domestic production. Production, yield and area under vegetable cultivation all have grown over the last three years, said the Ministry of Agriculture Development. Vegetable production grew to 3.4 million tonnes in the last fiscal year from the previous year’s 3.29 million tonnes. Yield increased to 13,851 kg per hectare from 13,463 kg per hectare while the area under vegetable farming rose to 246,174 hectares from 245,037. Some six years ago, the government had initiated the Onion Mission Programme in 10 districts of the Tarai as an import substitution effort. Despite the millions of rupees spent on the programme, no visible result was seen. The programme has now been shut down due to poor results. The Vegetable Development Directorate, Khumaltar said the Ministry of Agriculture Development had spent Rs 6.7 million to start the project, and that Rs 19 million was allocated for it in the last fiscal year.