The import of bananas from India, both through legal and illegal channels, has impacted Nepal's domestic banana market.

According to Madhav Ghimire, chairperson of the Chitwan Banana Producers Association, locally grown bananas are ready for sale, but gaining market access has become challenging due to the influx of Indian bananas.

Currently, nearly 40 percent of bananas in the Nepali market are imported from India. Ghimire claimed that a significant portion of these imports enter Nepal illegally. "Even the government has not taken steps to restrict the import of Indian bananas," he said.

He emphasized that Nepal has the potential to increase domestic banana production to achieve self-sufficiency. "However, this would require halting the import of Indian bananas," he added.

Chitwan, the country's highest banana-producing region, has approximately 3,200 hectares of land dedicated to banana farming. More than 700 farmers in the district are engaged in banana cultivation. -- RSS