KATHMANDU, Aug 31: Nepal imported legumes worth Rs 1.34 billion in the first month of the current fiscal year.

The records with the Department of Customs (DoC) show that Nepal spent the aforementioned amount to import 14,336 tons of the edibles, which was targeted for Janai Purnima, a festival of Hindus that was observed on Thursday. According to the government record, Nepal barely produces one percent of the country’s imported legume seeds.

The DoC’s data show that the country imported legumes of more than Rs 85 billion in the past five years. Nepal’ spending on the heading last year was Rs 14.08 billion, while the import value escalated to the record high amount of Rs 21.63 billion in the fiscal year 2020/21.   

Various types of lentils, soybean, big pea, beans and gram, among others, are major imported legumes. Nepal imported these agricultural products from Canada, Australia, Myanmar, India, Russia, Ukraine, Gulf Countries, Argentina, China and Turkey.  

 
• legumes
 
• import