Almonds, cashew worth over Rs 1.17bn imported in four months of current FY

KATHMANDU: Almonds and cashew worth Rs 1,177,954,000 were imported in Nepal in the first four months of the current fiscal year, 2021/22. Cashew of several varieties worth Rs 618,433,000 and almond worth Rs 559,521,000 were imported during this period, statistics on imports and exports for the period published by the Department of Customs stated. Traders have been importing cashew from six countries and almonds from three countries, especially targeting the Dashain and Tihar festivals. Cashew is imported from India, China, Mozambique, Nigeria, Singapore and Vietnam while almond is imported from India, America and Afghanistan. The highest amount of cashew is imported from India. About 417,484 kilogrammes (kg) cashew worth Rs 365,013,000 was imported from India in the first four months of the current fiscal. Similarly, 183,554kg cashew worth Rs 145,366,000 was imported from Vietnam during this period. Likewise, 89,900kg cashew worth Rs 70,397,000 was imported from Mozambique in the first four months of the current fiscal year while 45,452kg cashew worth Rs 305,184,000 was imported from Nigeria and 1,134kg worth Rs 904,000 was imported from Singapore in the same period. Likewise, the largest amount of almonds was imported from America in the first four months of the current fiscal year. 909,560kg almond worth Rs 557,629,000 was imported from America, 1632kg almond worth Rs 1,568,000 was imported from India and 504kg almond worth Rs 324,000 was imported from Afghanistan during that period. The government has collected revenue worth Rs 181,540,000 from the import of cashew and Rs 171,654,000 from the import of almonds in the first four months of the current fiscal year. Although the country imports nearly two billions worth of almonds and cashew, the government bodies concerned are not taking concrete initiatives in cultivation of these dry fruits within the country. The Department of Agriculture said there is immense possibility of almond cultivation in the country. However, its commercial cultivation has not been started yet. Likewise, there is possibility of cashew cultivation in the tropical districts of the country such as Dhanusha, Siraha and Saptari. The price of 1kg of cashew is in the range of Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 while that of almond is in the range of Rs 2,800 to Rs 3,000 per kg in the domestic market. By RSS READ ALSO:

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