Cereals import increase by 56% in first month of FY 2025/26

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Sept. 11: The import of cereals has increased by 56 per cent during the first month of the current fiscal year 2025/26. According to the trade statistics of the Department of Customs, the country imported cereals worth around Rs. 4.55 billion during the first month of the current fiscal year 2025/26. 

Cereals worth Rs. 2.92 billion were imported during the first months of the last fiscal year 2024/25. During the review period, rice and paddy worth Rs. 2.92 billion (paddy worth Rs. 1.10 billion and rice worth Rs. 1.82 billion) and maize worth Rs.1.54 billion were imported. 

Similarly, barley worth Rs. 2 million and buckwheat worth Rs. 8.9 million and wheat worth Rs. 35,000 have been imported during the review period. The import of paddy and rice has increased by 37 per cent and maize by 111 per cent during the review period as compared to same period last fiscal year. 

The country imported paddy and rice worth Rs. 2.11 billion and maize worth only Rs. 728 million during the first month of the last fiscal year. 

However, the import of wheat has decreased drastically – by almost 105 times - during the review period.  

Only around 250 kg of wheat worth Rs. 35,000 was imported during the review period while the country had imported 83,300 kilogram of wheat worth Rs. 3.7 million during the first month of the last fiscal year.

During the first month of the current fiscal year, the import of millet decreased by 9 per cent to Rs. 68 million. Millet worth Rs. 75 million has been imported during the first month of the last fiscal year.

The share of cereals to the total import stood at 3.18 per cent during the review period. Goods worth Rs. 143 billion were imported during the review period. 

During the review period, the exports have increased by 95.75 per cent to Rs. 23.3 billion while the import rose by 11.42 per cent.

The country has been spending billions of rupees for the import of cereals to meet the domestic consumption. The import of cereals had increased by 32 per cent in the last fiscal year.

The country imported cereals worth Rs. 60.78 billion in the last fiscal year 2024/25 while it was imported worth Rs. 45.79 billion in fiscal year 2023/24.