Nepal’s monthly rice and paddy imports reach Rs 1.78 billion
Nepal imported 24,939 tonnes of rice and paddy worth Rs 1.78 billion in the first month of fiscal year 2082/83 BS. India supplied virtually all major categories, although total volume and spending declined from the same period last year.
Import volume falls from last year
Nepal imported 24,939 tonnes of paddy and rice worth Rs 1.78 billion in Shrawan, the first month of fiscal year 2082/83 BS, according to Department of Customs data reported by Onlinekhabar. The volume was equivalent to 24.94 million kilograms and covered milled rice, Basmati rice, unmilled paddy, broken rice and smaller shipments of brown rice and paddy seed.
Both import volume and expenditure declined from the corresponding month of fiscal year 2081/82 BS. During that earlier period, Nepal brought in 57,083 tonnes of paddy and rice valued at Rs 2.93 billion. The lower opening-month bill indicates reduced foreign purchasing compared with last year, although the customs figures alone do not establish whether the change resulted from stronger domestic supply, inventory levels, prices or shifts in buying schedules.
Rice accounts for the largest expenditure
Regular rice was the largest category by value. Nepal imported 11,852 tonnes worth Rs 833.32 million during Shrawan. India supplied 11,851 tonnes, while Italy accounted for just 0.24 tonnes, or 240 kilograms. The figures leave India as the dominant source for the staple category and underline the importance of the land-based regional supply chain to Nepalese buyers.
Basmati rice ranked second by import value. Nepal purchased 4,125 tonnes worth Rs 568.59 million, all from India. The Basmati bill was substantial despite its volume being well below that of regular rice, reflecting the category’s distinct position in the market. For importers, processors and retailers, the concentration of both standard and premium rice purchases in India creates efficient sourcing channels but also exposes supply to changes in Indian availability, pricing and trade conditions.
India also supplies paddy and broken rice
Unmilled paddy remained another significant part of the import basket. Nepal imported 8,628 tonnes valued at Rs 365.02 million, with the entire quantity sourced from India. The country also bought 332 tonnes of broken rice worth Rs 13.31 million from India. These flows serve different users within the grain market, including mills purchasing paddy for domestic processing and businesses using lower-cost broken rice.
Small specialist shipments came from a wider group of suppliers. Nepal imported 625 kilograms of brown rice worth Rs 89,000, comprising 500 kilograms from Thailand and 125 kilograms from India. It also imported 67 kilograms of paddy seed valued at Rs 501,000, with more seed arriving from China than from India. These quantities are negligible beside commercial food-grain imports, but they show that supplier diversity is greater in niche products and planting material. Overall, the first-month data presents a smaller import bill than last year while confirming that India remains Nepal’s essential external supplier of rice and paddy.
