December 11: Export of herbal products from mid-western Nepal has shrunk due to the unnecessary hassles allegedly created by the Indian side in the name of ‘transit permit’, according to a news report published by Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS). 

According to the state-owned national news agency, Nepal Herbal Entrepreneurs Association Nepalgunj has accused the forest department of Uttar Pradesh in India of creating unnecessary hassles for businesspersons in the name of transit permit, customs, food lab and plant quarantine checks.

“The herbal export has witnessed difficulties after the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department of India created unnecessary hassles,” RSS quoted the association as saying. 

The entrepreneurs have complained that the export of herbal products has witnessed downfall due to the government’s apathy in taking action for promoting herbs. 

Entrepreneurs of Nepalgunj have now started using Sunauli checkpoint near Bhairahawa for herbal export after facing recurring troubles while transporting the products via Rupediya checkpoint. According to RSS, iIt has resulted in annual reduction of volume of herbal export to India from Nepalgunj through Rupediya. 
Until a decade ago, around 7 million kg of herbal products used to be exported to India via the checkpoint annually. This has now slumped insignificantly, said the Nepal Herbal Entrepreneurs Association Nepalgunj.