Raw jute imports hit Rs 4.91 billion as cultivation plummets in eastern Nepal

August 5, Kathmandu: Once a major regional exporter of raw jute to India and Bangladesh, Nepal now relies heavily on imports from both neighboring nations as domestic cultivation in eastern districts continues to decline.

According to Mechi Customs Office data, raw jute worth Rs 4.91 billion was imported through the Kakarbhitta customs point in the fiscal year 2082/83 BS—a 13.25 percent increase compared to Rs 4.34 billion in the previous fiscal year. Shivaram Neupane, Chief of the Mechi Customs Office, noted that raw jute has now become the third-largest import commodity through the eastern border crossing, trailing only petrol and diesel.

Agricultural officials attribute the sharp domestic downturn to escalating production costs and uncompetitive market returns. Sagar Bista, Chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Jhapa, stated that jute farming in the district has shrunk to approximately 5,000 hectares as local farmers increasingly shift to paddy and other higher-yielding crops to secure sustainable