Kathmandu: Nepal, an agricultural country, has imported food worth Rs 80 billion in a single year.
Foodgrains such as paddy, wheat, maize, millet, sorghum, barley, and sesame, which can be grown in Nepal, have been imported from neighboring India, various European countries, the United States, and South Africa. In the last fiscal year, only paddy/rice worth more than Rs 50 billion has been imported.
According to the customs department, paddy, rice, Kanika, and Chura worth Rs 50.80 billion were imported last year. Out of this, paddy/rice worth about Rs 45 billion has been imported from India alone. Nepal has been importing paddy and rice from China, the USA, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, and other countries.
Similarly, maize worth Rs 16.5 billion was imported last year alone. Nepal has imported maize from India, China, Argentina, South Africa, and other countries. Nepal has imported green vegetables worth Rs 38.50 billion, fruits worth Rs 21 billion, and tea/coffee worth Rs 9.5 billion in the same year.
As Nepalis become beneficiaries, the import of luxury goods has also increased. Vehicles worth Rs 97.37 billion have been imported. Mobile phones, phones and spare parts worth more than Rs 34 billion have been imported. Similarly, only watches worth Rs 645.8 million have been imported. In the last fiscal year, Nepal imported goods worth Rs 1.539 trillion and exported a total of Rs 141 billion.
