Nepal’s import of paddy and rice has surged by more than 46 percent, driven by floods triggered by incessant rains and uneven monsoon rainfall this year.
Data from the Department of Customs (DoC) shows that Nepal imported paddy and rice worth Rs 10.18 billion in the first four months of the current fiscal year (FY), marking a 46.26 percent increase compared to Rs 6.96 billion during the same period last fiscal year.
In terms of volume, the country imported 185,198 tons of paddy and rice—57.51 percent more than the 117,578 tons imported during the review period last year.
Officials at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) attribute the rise in imports to a decline in harvest and damage caused by heavy rains to stored crops.
MoALD Information Officer Mahananda Joshi said yields of staple grains may drop by around three percent this year. Nepal could produce 300,000 tons less rice compared to last year’s output of 5.955 million tons, he added.
Nepal has been experiencing severe climate impacts for several years. This year’s monsoon brought erratic and insufficient rainfall, heavily affecting paddy plantations in Koshi and Madhesh provinces. Further, the intense rainfall of October 3–4 damaged crops ready for harvest, causing farmers to lose large quantities of freshly harvested paddy kept in fields for sun drying.
Last fiscal year also saw a sharp rise in paddy and rice imports. Of the Rs 31.18 billion spent on imports, Rs 20.35 billion was for paddy and Rs 10.83 billion for rice. Experts warn that imports are likely to increase further this year due to expected production declines.
Former Agriculture Secretary Yogendra Kumar Karki estimated that productivity may fall by around 10 percent due to delayed transplantation, heavy rainfall, and other factors.
Basmati rice accounted for a substantial share of rice imports. Imports of this premium variety increased to 22,088 tons from 21,632 tons last year. Overall, Nepal imported 68,700 tons of basmati rice worth Rs 7.52 billion in FY 2024/25, compared to 46,800 tons worth Rs 6.23 billion in FY 2023/24.
