Despite repeated government claims of rising agricultural and livestock production, Nepal's reliance on imports continues to grow. In the first five months of the current fiscal year (FY) 2025/26 alone, the country imported agricultural and livestock products worth more than Rs 150 billion, highlighting a widening gap between domestic supply and demand.
According to data from the Department of Customs, between mid-July and mid-December imports of food grains, vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat reached Rs 154 billion. Vegetables and fruits consumed in Nepali households are also heavily imported, with vegetables worth Rs 14.89 billion and fruits totaling Rs 11.89 billion over the same period.
Experts attribute the growing dependence on imports to the outmigration of youth, which has left large areas of farmland uncultivated, as well as to the lack of modernization and commercialization in agriculture. As domestic production struggles to keep pace with demand, Nepal's trade deficit continues to widen, with government promises of import substitution yet to translate into tangible results.
Source: myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com
