Nepal’s Ban on Artificially Ripened Fruits Impacts India-Nepal Border Trade
Restriction on chemically ripened mangoes and bananas hits traders in Bihar’s border markets, causing heavy financial losses.
The decision of Nepal’s government under Mayor-turned-political leader Balen Shah’s administration has reportedly strained the traditionally warm trade ties between India and Nepal, particularly affecting fruit traders in border regions.
Nepal’s recent ban on artificially ripened fruits, including mangoes and bananas treated with chemicals for faster ripening, has begun impacting cross-border trade between the two neighbouring nations.
Earlier, Nepali traders regularly purchased mangoes and bananas from border markets in India and transported them to Nepal, contributing significantly to local businesses and strengthening the economic condition of traders in border areas. However, traders say the sudden restriction imposed by the Nepal government has weakened commercial activities in these regions.
According to wholesale mango traders in Jaynagar’s Ashok Market vegetable mandi, including Rajkumar Mahto, Badal Sah, Shatrughan Yadav, Mohammad Saddam, Mohammad Shakeel, Israel Mukhiya, and Kanhaiya Lal Banarasi, Nepali traders have stopped visiting border markets to purchase fruits following the ban on the import of ripe mangoes and bananas from India.
Traders claim that the ongoing heatwave has accelerated the ripening process of fruits, resulting in several quintals of mangoes going to waste. They estimate that the restriction is affecting business worth nearly ₹10 lakh daily in Jaynagar market alone.
Local shopkeepers stated that the Jaynagar market typically records mango trade worth ₹10 lakh every day, with nearly six truckloads of mangoes sold on a daily basis.
Popular mango varieties such as Himsagar, Malda, Bombay, Biju, and Lakhna were routinely exported from Jaynagar to Nepal. The supply included produce from farmers in Madhubani district as well as mangoes brought in from other Indian states.
Traders warn that the ban could have a direct economic impact on both mango farmers and fruit merchants dependent on Nepal-bound trade.
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