KATHMANDU, Nov 26: Nepal imported vegetables worth Rs 11.87 billion in the first four months of the current fiscal year.

In a country like Nepal, where agriculture forms the backbone of its economy, the plight of farmers is a matter of utmost concern. The recent incident in Khalanga in Darchula district, where vegetables are rotting in farmlands due to disruption of road transport as a result of landslides caused by monsoon rainfall, highlights the pressing need for the government bodies concerned to take immediate action to ensure easy access to markets for the farmers.

KHALANGA, July 22: The vegetables produced by farmers here have started rotting in the farmlands as the only road connecting Byas of Darchula district and the district headquarters, Khalanga has been obstructed by landslides triggered by incessant rainfall. The road has been disrupted by landslides at various places of the road caused by rains since the end of June.

KATHMANDU, July 2: Finance Minister  Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said that the imports of vegetables and fruits will be discouraged to promote small producers within the country.

Strengthen market monitoring

June 17, 2023 07:30 am

The recent surge in prices of essential vegetables, such as onions and potatoes, prior to the implementation of the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT), raises serious concerns about the plight of consumers and the need for stronger market monitoring. It is disheartening to witness unscrupulous businesspersons taking advantage of the impending VAT implementation by unjustly raising prices and burdening the already strained household budgets of citizens.

KATHMANDU, March 2: While being criticized for delaying the implementation of pesticide testing standards for vegetables imported from India, the government has said that the standards for measuring the quality of all imported and indigenous vegetables are the same.

ILLAM, JULY 10: Farmers in the eastern part of the district depend on commercial vegetable farming. Although there are occasional problems in selling vegetables, most of the vegetables produced here are sold at high prices.

KATHMANDU, June 6: The quality of vegetables and food items exported from both India and Nepal will now be tested in Bihar. Earlier, the traders from both the countries needed to send the samples of their food and vegetables to West Bengal for quality tests.

KATHMANDU, Oct 27: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) has started testing residues of pesticides at seven border points to ensure whether the vegetables and fruits imported from India are edible or not.

Burnt food is every cook’s nightmare, but you shouldn’t be afraid of a good char. It’s a fine line, but charring sweeter vegetables such as corn or sweet potatoes builds flavor by introducing a bit of bitterness that balances their natural sugars.

KATHMANDU, Oct 3: With the prices of vegetables skyrocketing, traders have been found charging consumers more than double of what they pay to the wholesalers, taking a profit margin of up to Rs 80 per kg while selling fresh vegetables to consumers.

KATHMANDU, Sept 20: The prices of major vegetable items — potatoes, onions and tomatoes — have skyrocketed in the Kathmandu Valley over the past few days, which traders blamed mainly on the slump in production of these products.

Keep it going

April 13, 2020 08:06 am

In nearly three weeks since the nationwide lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, life is changing across the country. In Kathmandu, scarcity of essential goods such as rice, lentils, cooking gas, vegetables, and meat has become acute. People are purchasing these items at much higher prices. Fresh vegetables have become the scarce commodities in Kathmandu since the lockdown disrupted transportation channel and vegetable sellers have also confined themselves within their households due to the fear of transmission. The people to suffer most from this situation have been the farmers, who have not been able to harvest the crops and vegetables from their fields and supply them to the market. As a result, in many places across the country, they have left the ripe harvest uncollected. Elsewhere they are spilling the milk on the road or feeding the cattle with the fresh vegetables. The situation today is while fresh vegetables and crops are rotting or remain uncollected in the fields in some parts of the country, people in other parts are struggling to obtain the same.

Groundwater for food security

March 22, 2020 10:34 am

Nepal exports agricultural commodities worth USD 200 million each year, and imports produce worth about five times as much. While nearly 70 percent of Nepal’s total imports of agricultural commodities—cereals, vegetables, and fruits—come from India, this has not always been the case. Until the 1980s, Nepal was a net exporter of agricultural commodities. Even today, if agricultural land in the Tarai plains—known popularly as the granary of Nepal—is optimally utilized, the country’s agricultural production can increase manifold to offset the current trade deficit. About 600,000 hectares (ha) of irrigable land in the Tarai are unirrigated and completely dependent on rainfall. If Nepal uses its groundwater resources to irrigate these lands, it will help bolster food security and lead to socio-economic benefits for the country.

BANKE, Jan 18: Potato farmers in Banke and Bardiya districts are facing losses of Rs 1 billion due to excessive winter rain. Potato production in these districts is likely to decline by 50% this season. The excessive winter rain has continued even in January which will furthermore affect the production of vegetables and winter crops in these districts.

NEPALGUNJ, Oct 23: The price of vegetables in Nepalgunj has increased at a whopping rate over the past week.

BIRENDRANAGAR, Oct 13: Sita Neupane of Birendranagar-6 went to the market on Thursday to buy vegetables. She was taken aback upon hearing the prices of vegetables, and was able to buy far less than she had planned.

Glimpses of Hatiya market in Khotang

September 14, 2019 14:05 pm

Locals selling vegetables at Hatiya market in Diktel, Khotang.

KATHMANDU, Aug 21: In a major agreement that is expected to ease the import and export of various food items between the two countries, Nepal and India have agreed to recognize each other’s inspection, testing and certification of a number of exportable goods such as vegetables and fruits conducted by their relevant bodies.

NEPALGUNJ, July 30: Bhandu Rai has been selling vegetables at Rani Talau vegetable market of Nepalgunj for years now.

BUTWAL, July 27: Putting the blame on floods, pesticide clearance, and the confusion related to implementation of Vehicle Consignment Tracking System (VCTS), traders in the district have raised vegetable prices exorbitantly.

Think global, act local

July 21, 2019 08:38 am

All problems are global but their solutions are local. Believe it or not, most of the problems we are facing today are caused by various phenomena for which we are responsible including haphazard use of insecticides that is very hazardous to public health. It becomes more concerning when vegetables that enter our kitchen on a daily basis are infested with insecticides that pose serious challenge to our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

KATHMANDU, June 17: The Supreme Court on Tuesday continued its July 10 stay order directing the government to conduct pesticides residue test compulsorily on vegetables and fruits imported to Nepal from India and other countries.

KATHMANDU, July 14: The average wholesale prices of vegetables including tomato small, tomato small (tunnel), local cabbage, local cauliflower, bitter gourd, and brinjal increased by almost 33 percent in a single day on Saturday.

An inorganic mess

July 12, 2019 07:54 am

Now all of us in Kathmandu can add one more item to the list of things that could potentially kill us. If the air quality or the killer roads don’t get you, the fruits and vegetables surely will! But we already knew that.

KATHMANDU, July 11:Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that he was also deceived into thinking that no letter with regards to pesticide residue test was received from India.

KATHMANDU, July 11: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the decision of the government to take a u-turn on conducting pesticide residue tests on vegetables and fruits imported from India and third countries.

KATHMANDU, July 10: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the government's recent decision to put on hold its previous decision to carry out pesticide testing for vegetables and fruits imported from India.

KATHMANDU, July 9: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav has said that the government rolled back its decision to conduct pesticide residue tests on fruits and vegetables imported from India and third countries after it was found that the customs points were ill-equipped and not due to pressure from India as being reported.

KATHMANDU, July 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav on Monday admitted that the government backtracked on its decision to conduct pesticide residue tests on fruits and vegetables imported from India and third countries due to lack of modern labs at the customs points.

KATHMANDU, July 7: Government has said that it will take at least one year to start lab test of the vegetables and fruits imported from India and third countries.

KATHMANDU, July 7: Government officials have said the installation of well-equipped labs at least at the six major border customs points namely Kakadvitta, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Birgunj, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj is necessary to start effective pesticide tests for vegetables and fruits coming into the country from India.

BHAIRAHAWA, July 7: While the government has revoked its decision to carry out pesticide testing for vegetables and fruits imported from India citing lack of adequate lab facilities, vegetables and fruits from Bhairahawa Customs Office are being imported only after lab test of samples.

KATHMANDU, July 6: The main opposition Nepali Congress has slammed the government for revoking its decision to carry out pesticide testing for vegetables and fruits from India.

KATHMANDU, July 6: Under enormous pressure from the Indian embassy, the government has put on hold its decision to carry out pesticide testing for vegetables and fruits imported from India until further arrangements.

KATHMANDU, July 5: The government has stepped back from the decision to examine the vegetables and fruits that are imported from India.

KATHMANDU, July 3: Hundreds of trucks carrying vegetables and fruits that enter Nepal are stopped in custom points in course of testing vegetables if they have traces of pesticide that exceed safety limits.

BHAIRAHAWA, June 24: Following the government’s decision that fruits and vegetables will be allowed entry into the country only after verifying that they are free of pesticides, 17 trucks carrying onion and potato from India have been stopped at Bhairahawa Customs point.

BHAIRAHAWA, June 24: Following the government's decision that fruits and vegetables will be allowed entry into the country only after verifying that they are free of pesticides, 17 trucks carrying onion and potato from India have been stopped at Bhairahawa Customs point.

KATHMANDU, May 27: Price of limes has gone up significantly in the market over the last two months, and continues to skyrocket, owing to a similar price hike in India.

KATHMANDU, May 18: The prices of essential vegetables have spiked and a few of them have doubled over the last one month, according to a comparative analysis of retail prices at Kalimati vegetable market.

The basics of gardening

May 17, 2019 09:07 am

If you are a gardening enthusiast but doubt you know the proper ways or you are someone who has always loved greenery but could never really figure out how to go about planting your own garden, the bi-monthly event “Day at the Farm” may be just what you need. From learning how to tend to your plants and understanding what plants might work for you to a chance to buy some locally grown organic vegetables, this is a day that will teach you all things you ever wanted to know about gardening.

BAJHANG, April 7: Debu Khadka of Chainpur-10 remains busy working on her farm from dawn to dusk. However, she hardly feels tired. “When you love your work, you don’t feel tired no matter how much you work. I love farming,” she beams.

CHITWAN, Jan 29: Dealers of vegetables and fruits in Khairhani of eastern Chitwan on Monday collected cabbages from farmers at just Rs 3 to Rs 5 per kg. But when the same cabbages reach Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market in Kathmandu, their wholesale and retail prices become Rs 12 and Rs 25 per kg respectively.

Krishi Fresh accuses ex-employees

November 28, 2018 03:00 am

KATHMANDU, Nov 28: Agricultural Development Multipurpose Co-operative or Krishi Fresh Group, which was caught 'mislabeling' vegetables it bought from a wholesale market in Balkhu as organic vegetables, has accused its sacked employees of embezzlement.

KATHMANDU, Nov 23: Krishi Fresh has been found buying vegetables from Balkhu Fruits and Vegetable Market and selling these through its outlets inside Kathmandu Valley as organic produce from its own farm.

Healing properties of vegetables

November 1, 2018 01:00 am

My grandmother used to give us banana and yogurt when we had diarrhea. She had the knowledge to use banana as medicine from her grandmother

BHARATPUR, Aug 27: Construction of a modern fruits and vegetables market in Chhetrapur of Chitwan is in the last leg.

Phalebas, Parbat, March 31: A hailstorm that lasted for five days destroyed more than 20 million worth of vegetables, crops and fruits in various parts of Parbat district, said the District Agricultural Development Office.

SYANGJA, Feb 27: A farmer of Syangja district has successfully using aquaponics system to grow different vegetables.