Nepal's betel nut trade, a significant cash crop for the country, faces an uncertain future as a parliamentary committee has instructed the government to allow exports only after conducting DNA testing.
Betel nuts, primarily produced in districts such as Jhapa, have been exported to India for years. According to the Betel Nut Farming Development Association, the eastern region produces approximately 15,000 metric tonnes of beetle nuts annually, valued at Rs 8 to 12 billion at current market rates.
However, the livelihoods of around 100,000 farmers from Jhapa to Udayapur have been jeopardized due to the suspension of exports caused by policy confusion, said the Association's central chair, Nilakantha Tiwari.
“A parliamentary committee has directed the ministries of finance and commerce to arrange for betel nut exports only after DNA testing,” Tiwari said.
The Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee of the National Assembly had earlier issued written instructions to the ministries to implement the directive. The directive aims to ensure that only betel nuts grown within Nepal are exported under a quota fixed by India for importing beetle nuts from Nepal.
However, farmers and traders claim that the lack of DNA testing facilities has become a major bottleneck, halting exports entirely since last year.
Local farmer Jeevan Pandey of Mechinagar Municipality, who has cultivated betel nuts on 1.5 bighas of field former used for paddy cultivation, expressed concern about the continuing disruption. Similarly, Pawan Baraili, a ward member of Mechinagar-4 Bahundangi, criticized the government for failing to provide subsidies and other support to betel nut farmers.
Baraili explained that many farmers in Bahundangi, Sanischare, and Budhare shifted to cash crops like betel nuts and tea after wild elephants began destroying traditional crops such as paddy and maize.
Association President Tiwari emphasized that the DNA testing requirement should not become an unnecessary hindrance. “Conducting DNA tests on every shipment of exported betel nuts is impractical,” he argued.
Until these issue is resolved, Nepal’s betel nut trade remains uncertain, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of farmers dependent on this vital cash crop. -- RSS
