KATHMANDU, Sept 26: Nepal’s imports of agricultural and food products in the first two months of the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2026/27 increased by a notable amount, jumping to Rs 87.10 billion from Rs 59.18 billion in the same period last FY.
According to records of the Department of Customs (DoC), the import expenses on major agricultural commodities rose significantly. In the review period, the country’s import expenses on agricultural products increased by Rs 27.92 billion.
The largest expenses were made on the import of vegetable and animal fats and oils. The import of these items grew to Rs 48.57 billion from Rs 27.41 billion.
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Similarly, imports of oilseeds, legumes, industrial and medicinal plants, and fodder increased three-folds. While such items worth Rs 2.73 billion were imported during the mid-July and mid-September of the previous year, imports rose to Rs 8.86 billion in the current FY.
There was increased import pressure also in the vegetables and root products. Import of these edibles stood at Rs 7.93 billion, an increase of 43 percent from Rs 5.53 billion.
However, imports of major food staples such as paddy, rice, maize, and wheat declined. The import figure declined from Rs 8.79 billion to Rs 6.03 billion. It shows a decline of Rs 2.76 billion on import expense on these headings.
Similarly, imports of fruits and dry fruits including walnuts, and almonds saw a slight decline, falling from Rs 5.64 billion to Rs 5.59 billion.
The DoC records show a notable rise in the import of live animals in the review period. While live animals worth Rs 14.1 million were imported during the first two months of FY 2025/26, the figure rose to Rs 90.4 million during the same period of FY 2026/27. Likewise, meat imports increased from Rs 649,000 to Rs 3.23 million, and imports of fish and aquatic products rose from Rs 159.1 million to Rs 239.6 million.
On the other hand, there has been a notable decline in the import of dairy products, eggs, and natural honey. Import of dairy products fell from worth Rs 155.9 million to Rs 69.9 million. It has been attributed to the self sufficiency of domestic products in the segment.
Imports of tea, coffee, and spices saw a slight decline, from Rs 2.17 billion to Rs 2.03 billion. Nepal exported these goods worth Rs 3.04 billion, thereby securing a trade surplus of around Rs 1 billion in this category.
