On February 3, farmers from Chitwan staged a protest by throwing vegetables on the road stating their products remained unsold due to a lack of markets.

Meanwhile, Nepal has imported vegetables worth Rs 17.4 billion within 6 months of the current fiscal year from various countries but mostly India.

Mainly vegetable produce from India has dominated the Nepali market and local farmers blame the Nepal government for turning a deaf ear to the problems related to the scarcity of fertilizers and the absence of markets for Nepali-produced vegetables.

“Indian vegetables have dominated Nepali markets with no place for Nepali vegetables. Take tomato for example, our cost for producing a kg of tomato is around Rs 16 but we are now forced to sell it for Rs 7-10 per kg.

“Even when we are selling at a loss price, traders say they can buy Indian produce at Rs. 5 per kg. It’s because the Indian government provides subsidies and several schemes for their farmers so they can sell at a lower price and still book profit” said Krishna Raj Parajuli, a farmer in Chitwan.

Khum Prasad Ghimire, president of Nepal Fruits and Vegetable Traders Association, states that it is a recurring problem as Nepali produces are not getting good prices due to the fact that large quantities of vegetables are being imported from India at a cheaper price.