Tomato Imports Through Eastern Border Point Surge 932 Percent in Five Months

Tomato imports through the Kakarbhitta border point in eastern Nepal jumped by 932 percent in the first five months of the current fiscal year 2025/26, according to the Mechi Customs Office.

Customs data show that tomatoes worth Rs 68.47 million were imported from India between mid-July and mid-December, up from Rs 3.73 million in the same period of the previous fiscal year.

Information Officer Ishwar Kumar Humagain said that 2.68 million kilograms of tomatoes entered Nepal through the Kakarbhitta border during the review period, generating Rs 8.27 million in customs revenue.

In the corresponding five months of fiscal year 2024/25, imports stood at 138,650 kilograms, Humagain said, adding that the sharp rise reflects a significant increase in imports of tomatoes used as a household vegetable. He noted that the bulk of tomatoes imported into Nepal come from India.

Humagain also reported an overall rise in vegetable imports through the eastern border in the current fiscal year. During the five-month period, vegetables worth Rs 1.18 billion were imported via the same customs point, compared to Rs 1.11 billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, according to the customs office. -- RSS