According to Nepalese media reports: data from Nepal’s customs department shows that the value of apples imported from China last fiscal year was 5.99 billion rupees, a year-on-year increase of 2.8%.
Although Nepal imports apples from many countries, entrepreneurs say Chinese apples appear to have a monopoly on the local market. The data showed that a total of 86.79 million kilograms were imported in the last fiscal year, of which 17.31 million kilograms of apples worth rupees 1.16 billion were imported from India and 69.41 million kilograms were imported from China.
Apart from China and India, Nepal also imports apples from countries such as Turkey, the United States and Guinea-Bissau, dried apples from Vietnam and India, and apple juice from China and India.
Parts of the Kanali and Gandaki provinces in Nepal produce apples, but entrepreneurs say it is difficult for apples produced in these areas to compete with imported apples in the market due to inconvenient transportation and high transportation costs. The Federation of Fruits and Vegetable Entrepreneurs Nepal said that due to the lack of production and market management of apples in Nepal, and the lack of branding and classification management of organic apples, imported apples have more opportunities to enter and occupy the Nepalese market.
China is a major apple-producing country, and fresh apple exports are mainly concentrated in Southeast Asian countries. In July 2022, fresh apple importers were mainly Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and other countries.