Chinese onion demand soars in Nepal as amid India export ban
Kathmandu: Demand of onions from China has soared in Nepal due to the export ban on onions by India, according to authorities.
Nepal has remained heavily dependent on India for onions as limited local production does not fulfil the demand of the domestic market, reports Xinhua news agency.
However, following India’s onion crisis since September and a strict ban imposed for the last 10 days, the demand of Chinese onions was surging in Nepal.
With around 90-100 metric tonnes of onions every day in the past, Nepal received 40-45 metric tonnes of onions from China after the ban, taking up 50 per cent of the total, according to Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market, one of the biggest and oldest vegetable markets that cater the maximum demand of Kathmandu.
“But since the last 10 days, we have 100 pe rcent Chinese onions in the market,” Tejendra Prasad Poudel, Executive Director at Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market Development Board, told Xinhua.
According to the board that handles over 500 wholesale vegetable and fruits shops in the premise, there had been only occasional import of Chinese onions in a small volume in the past, particularly before the Indian ban came into force. (IANS)
