Cardamom Exports Up 60.1%, Tea Down 31.4% through Mechi Customs

Cardamom exports through Mechi Customs in eastern Nepal surged 60.10 percent in the first five months of the current fiscal year, while tea exports declined 31.40 percent, according to the Mechi Customs Office.

From mid-July to mid-December, a total of 2,622.10 metric tonnes of cardamom worth Rs 5.53 billion was exported, up from Rs 3.45 billion in the same period last fiscal year, said Information Officer Ishwar Kumar Humagain.

Tea exports, however, fell by 31.40 percent. Tea worth Rs 1.85 billion was exported in the five-month period, down from Rs 2.70 billion in the period last fiscal, Humagain added.

Several other commodities recorded strong growth. Lentil exports rose by 481 percent. Veneer sheet exports increased by 129.90 percent. Ginger and dried ginger exports climbed 48.70 percent. Exports of cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage rose by 36.10 percent, while dog chew (chhurpi) increased by 32 percent.

In contrast, exports of iron sheets plunged by 97.80 percent. Plywood exports declined by 46 percent, while amriso, also known as broom grass, fell by 35.50 percent.

Overall, goods worth Rs 10.71 billion were exported through Mechi Customs in the first five months of the current fiscal year.

(With inputs from RSS)