Rs. 800 M worth of potatoes imported from India through Nepalgunj customs

By Our Correspondent,Nepalgunj, Jan. 12: Nepal has been importing potatoes spending billions of rupees every year, despite having huge potential for its production. 

The import of potatoes from India through the Nepalgunj border has almost doubled in the first five months of the current fiscal year 2023/24.

Potatoes worth Rs. 800 million were imported from Nepalgunj border only in the five months of the current fiscal year. 

During the same period in the last fiscal year 2022/23, potatoes worth only Rs. 450 million were imported.

According to information officer of Nepalgunj Customs Office Dillu Prasad Sharma, about 33,800 tonnes of potatoes worth Rs. 796 million have been imported through this checkpoint during the five months of the current fiscal year.

About 18,200 tonnes of potatoes worth Rs. 457 million were imported from Nepalgunj customs in the first five months of the last fiscal year. 

In the last fiscal year, about 37,500 tonnes of potatoes worth Rs. 936 million had been imported from India through this customs office.

The Nepalgunj Customs Office was able to collect revenue of Rs. 197 million only from the import of potatoes in five months of the current fiscal year. It had collected revenue of Rs. 147 million from potato import in the last fiscal year 2022/23.