Nepal to India: Ease quarantine restrictions on 16 agricultural products

Nepal has reportedly requested India to relax quarantine restrictions on 16 agricultural products to facilitate exports.

Its Commerce and Supplies Ministry has asked the Indian Government to grant recognition to its quality certification for farm products like tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, strawberry, large cardamom, ginger, green tea, fresh and dry vegetables, chilli and oil cake, among others.

Traders in Nepal have often complained about a number of non-tariff barriers, including tough quarantine rules that they say is impeding exports.

They said that they obtain domestic quality certification for their exports, but India requires that they be tested by laboratories in India. This has discouraged exports of Nepali agro products, reports Kantipur Online.

As per official records, exports of agro products have been increasing in recent years. Ginger, large cardamom, oil cake and vegetable, among others, are major exportable farm products.