Nepal Imported About Rs 6 Billion Worth Of Apples From China Last Fiscal Year

According to Nepalese media reports: data from Nepal’s customs department shows that the value of apples imported from China last fiscal year was 5.99 billion rupees, a year-on-year increase of 2.8%.

Although Nepal imports apples from many countries, entrepreneurs say that Chinese apples seem to have a monopoly on the market. Data shows that a total of 86.79 million kilograms were imported in the last fiscal year, of which 17.31 million kilograms of apples worth 1.16 billion rupees were imported from India, and 69.41 million kilograms were imported from China.

Apart from China and India, Nepal also imports apples from countries such as Turkey, the United States and Guinea-Bissau, dried apples from Vietnam and India, and apple juice from China and India.

Parts of Nepal's Karnali and Gandaki provinces produce apples, but entrepreneurs say it is difficult for apples produced in these areas to compete with imported apples in the market due to inconvenient transportation and high transportation costs. The Nepal Fruit and Vegetable Entrepreneurs Federation said that due to the lack of production and market management of apples in Nepal, and the lack of branding and hierarchical management of organic apples, imported apples have more opportunities to enter and occupy the Nepalese market.