April 11: Import of apple in Nepal has decreased by 10 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year. According to the data of the Department of Customs, 57.12 million kilograms of apples have been imported into Nepal between mid-July to mid-February this year. During the corresponding period of last fiscal year, Nepal imported 63.61 million kilograms of apples.

According to the department, the country has spent Rs 4.45 billion to import apples during the review period of the current fiscal year. During the same period of last year, this amount was Rs 7.15 billion.

Amar Baniya, a trader at Kuleshwar Fruit Market, says that the import has decreased due to the decrease in the consumption of apples. According to him, consumption of apples has decreased by 40 percent this year.

“In previous years, fruit sellers used to go from door to door and sell fruit on bicycles. Now there are no such sellers," he explained the reason for the decline in the sale of apples.

Traders say that the sales of apples have decreased after the Kathmandu Metropolitan City banned the sale of fruits and other goods along the roadside on bicycles and carts.

Kamal Basnet, who has been selling fruits along with groceries in Kalimati, also says that the apple business has decreased drastically now. He said that he used to sell 20-30 kg of apples daily last year but now it is difficult to sell 10 kg of apples a day.

Decreased consumption increased the price!

The traders say that the consumption of apples has decreased but their prices have increased. This is exactly the opposite to the theory of economics, which states that the price increases when the demand is high and it declines when the demand is low.

In other words, when consumption decreases, prices also decrease but this is not the case in Nepal.

Last year, the wholesale price of apples was Rs 100-110 per kg, while this year it has reached Rs 160 per kg. Along with the wholesale price, the retail price of apples has also increased. Apples, which were sold at Rs 140 per kg last year, now cost between Rs 150-180. Fuji apple which was Rs 240 per kg last year has now increased by Rs 60.

Businessman Baniya says that apples have been stockpiled in stores after the consumption has decreased.

How much import from which country?

Nepal imports apples from India, China, America and other countries. During the review period of the current fiscal year, most of the apples have been imported from China. According to the department, during the review period, 27.77 million kilograms of apples worth Rs 2.52 billion were imported from China.

Similarly, 20.93 million kg of apples worth Rs 1.92 billion were imported from India.

Likewise, 35,000 kilograms of apples worth Rs 2.7 million were imported from Switzerland and 20,580 kilograms of apples worth Rs 5.5 million from the United States.