Nepal has exported its first commercial trial shipment of frozen French fries to the United States. Three tons of Ripley Queen potatoes were processed into "Himalayan Crisp" and "Hamro Fries" brands at First Choice Foods Pvt Ltd in Butwal and shipped earlier this month. The containers were transported by road from Bhairahawa to Kolkata before being loaded for sea freight, a route that takes about 55 days to reach the U.S.
First Choice Foods director Krishna Paudel said the company, established five years ago in Shuddhodhan Rural Municipality–5 of Rupandehi, has been operating commercially for a year. According to Paudel, the company has replaced about 75 percent of imported French fries in Nepal during its first year of production. After exporting to India, shipments have now begun to the U.S., with future expansion planned for the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Dubai, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia.
The company aims to fully replace imported frozen fries in Nepal within a year and expand exports to more than a dozen countries. The factory was set up at an estimated cost of Rs2 billion, equal to about US$15 million, of which Rs1.5 billion has been invested so far. Paudel said, "We are producing two tons of French fries per hour using state-of-the-art European technology."
The company received export approval from the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control after installing a cold chain, packaging system, and quality control processes. In addition to French fries, the company produces crinkle-cut fries, hash browns, aloo tikki, veg sticks, smoky bites, smiles, and potato wedges.
First Choice Foods sources potatoes directly from farmers across 26 districts, linking about 35,000 growers through its supply network. The company purchases several thousand tons of potatoes annually, including more than 2,000 tons in a single year. "We provide seeds, fertilisers, training, and technical support, and purchase potatoes directly from the fields," Paudel said.
Potatoes are sourced from districts including Kailali, Nawalpur, Sindhuli, Kavre, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Dang, Bara, and Parsa. The factory operates on roughly five bighas of land, about 3.4 hectares, with processing facilities covering 60,000 square feet.
Bhairahawa Customs Office chief Shivalal Neupane said, "For the first time, Nepali French fries are reaching the U.S. The first shipment has brought in $38,200." He noted that the product met U.S. Food and Drug Administration quality standards before export clearance.
Paudel said the company has received orders for 40 containers from the U.S. and is producing enough to ship two to three containers per week. The fries have an 18-month shelf life. More than 200 workers are employed at the factory, and the company distributes nationally through five distributors, 12 chain restaurants, 150 suppliers, over 400 restaurants, and 171 marts.
Former Rupandehi Industries Association president Baburam Bohora said the exports have strengthened growers' confidence and supported Nepal's agricultural products in foreign markets.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
