Nepal’s import of cereals has risen sharply, increasing by 56 percent during the first month of the current fiscal year 2025/26. According to trade statistics from the Department of Customs, the country imported cereals worth approximately Rs. 4.55 billion in the period.
During the same period last fiscal year (2024/25), cereal imports totaled Rs. 2.92 billion. Breakdown of the current imports shows paddy and rice worth Rs. 2.92 billion (paddy Rs. 1.10 billion and rice Rs. 1.82 billion) and maize worth Rs. 1.54 billion. Additionally, barley worth Rs. 2 million, buckwheat Rs. 8.9 million, and wheat Rs. 35,000 were imported.
Compared to the same period last year, the import of paddy and rice rose by 37 percent, while maize imports more than doubled, increasing by 111 percent. In contrast, wheat imports plummeted nearly 105 times, with only 250 kg valued at Rs. 35,000 imported, compared to 83,300 kg worth Rs. 3.7 million in the first month of FY 2024/25.
Millet imports also declined slightly, falling by 9 percent to Rs. 68 million from Rs. 75 million last year.
Cereals accounted for 3.18 percent of Nepal’s total imports during the review period, with overall imports amounting to Rs. 143 billion. Meanwhile, exports surged by 95.75 percent to Rs. 23.3 billion, while overall imports rose by 11.42 percent.
Nepal continues to spend billions of rupees on cereal imports to meet domestic consumption. In FY 2024/25, the country imported cereals worth Rs. 60.78 billion, up from Rs. 45.79 billion in FY 2023/24, reflecting a 32 percent increase.
