Indian banana imports causing losses to Nepali farmers, association submits memo to CM Shah

Kailali: The Nepali Banana Entrepreneurs Association has submitted a memorandum to Sudurpaschim Province Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah, claiming that Nepali entrepreneurs are facing losses due to the inflow of bananas from India.

A joint delegation of banana producers and entrepreneurs from Kailali and Kanchanpur submitted the memorandum, stating that quality bananas produced domestically with significant labor and investment are not receiving fair prices or market access because of cheap imports from India.

According to the association, Nepali farmers are incurring financial losses and are increasingly discouraged from continuing banana farming, with many sinking into debt as they fail to recover production costs.

Dipendra Tharu, President of the Kailali Banana Producers and Entrepreneurs Association, emphasized that it is the responsibility of the state to prioritize Nepali bananas, build a self-reliant agricultural system, ensure fair pricing for farmers, and maintain supply balance.

The memorandum demanded a complete ban on Indian banana imports by Mangsir, stricter legal, technical, and administrative quarantine processes, a government appeal to consumers nationwide to prioritize Nepali bananas, protection for domestic producers, and the immediate establishment of a fair-price market system for Nepali bananas.