Herbs worth over Rs 700 million exported from Nepalgunj border checkpoint
Despite various problems and obstacles, during the nine months from July to March of the current year, herbs worth Rs 700 million have been exported, according to the Nepal Herb Traders Association.
KATHMANDU: Herbs worth more than Rs 700 million have been exported from Nepalganj, which is the main gateway for the export of herbs, in nine months.
Despite various problems and obstacles, during the nine months from July to March of the current year, herbs worth Rs 700 million have been exported, according to the Nepal Herb Traders Association.
According to Tank Prasad Sharma, President of Nepal Herb Traders Association, due to the difficulties faced in export from internal and external sectors, the traders have managed to export over Rs 700 million worth of herbs in nine months.
Chair Sharma said that due to India’s complicated process towards Nepali herbs and Nepali government’s unclear policy, the export of herbs has been decreasing every year, but there are signs of it rising again from this year.
According to the Nepalgunj Customs Office, till the end of March 2023/24, 2 million 805 thousand and 839 kilograms of various herbs worth Rs 700 million and 961 thousand were exported from this border checkpoint till the end of March of last year 2022/23.
Nepalgunj is a major transit point for the storage and export of herbs produced in hilly districts including Karnali State.
Herbs have been exported to various countries including India through Nepalgunj. Timmur (botanical name Zanthoxylum armatum), Ritha (Sapindus mukorossi) and Kaulo (Machilus odoratissima) are being exported the most through this channel.
According to the Nepal Herb Traders Association, these herbs which are used to make ingredients like medicine, soap and shampoo are being exported not only to India but also to third countries like Germany and Bangladesh.
Similarly, Timmur, Kaulo and Ritha, found in the hilly districts of Karnali State, have been purchased from there by businessmen and exported abroad.
But during the export, herbal traders have had to face various difficulties for the past few years, and the problem is becoming a tough, said Sharma, the president of the Herbal Traders Association.
