Nepal urges China to facilitate agro export

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 30: Nepal has urged China to facilitate and adopt flexibility in customs administration for the former's export of buffalo meat, dairy products, vegetables, fruits and herbs to the latter. 

Nepal proposed the Chinese side during a bilateral meeting held in Kathmandu on Thursday between high-ranking officials from China's Customs Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.

According to a press statement issued by the secretariat of the Ministry for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ramnath Adhikari, on Friday, the Chinese officials said that China has positively received Nepal's request in this regard.

The meeting was led by Minister Adhikari on behalf of the government of Nepal, while Wang Lingjun, Deputy Minister of Customs Administration, led the meeting on behalf of China.

In addition to the export of thermally processed buffalo meat and buffalo cartilage (crunchy bones) from Nepal, the Ministry is pushing for the export of dairy products, especially ghee, butter and buttermilk to China.

Similarly, Nepal has also raised the issue of exporting silage and animal feed in the bilateral meeting, read the press statement. Nepal is capable of exporting poultry meat, vegetables, citrus fruits, tea and coffee, and herbs, and has urged the Chinese government to provide further facilitation for this.

Currently, 34 types of agricultural products are being exported from Nepal through 61 companies. Similarly, haylage, a type of nutritious animal feed, is being exported to China through 5 companies. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has also proposed to China for exporting animal feed silage.

In the meeting, Wang, the Deputy Minister, said that China attaches great importance to the issue of exporting agricultural products from Nepal to China. Although such proposals have been received from more than 100 countries, we have given importance to Nepal as a neighbouring country and have made efforts, he said.

"Our single efforts are not enough to facilitate trade, so it is not difficult and complicated with the joint efforts of both countries; we are ready to facilitate it," said Deputy Minister Wang.

In the meeting, Minister Adhikari said that efforts are being made to meet China's quarantine standards, including the process of declaring a foot-and-mouth disease-free zone as the basic condition for meat exports from Nepal.

He urged the Chinese side to adopt flexibility in some conditions for the export of citrus fruits. In the bilateral meeting, the Chinese side agreed to Nepal's proposal to establish a joint structure between the two countries to facilitate the export of Nepal's agricultural produce.

Secretaries of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Dr. Govinda Prasad Sharma, Dr. Deepak Kumar Kharal, as well as joint secretaries from the ministry, participated in the meeting, while officials from the Chinese Customs Administration participated.