Export of medicinal herbs to India still on hold

BankeThe export of Nepali herbal (jadibuti), which has been put on hold for the past one year due to obstruction of Indian plant quarantine, has yet to resume.

Publishing a notice in the gazette on 1 October 2019, the Government of India had issued a new list of herbals to be imported from foreign countries.

The issuance of new notice had opened up the legal way for exporting herbals from different countries, including Nepal. However, its implementation has yet to be materialized.

Local entrepreneurs said that they have been facing tough time in many ways to export herbals due to uncooperative gesture of Indian government.

The export has been disrupted as the Indian plant quarantine office based in Rupediya has not sent a letter in writing to open the export of herbals as per the new list, said former Chairperson of Herbal Entrepreneurs Association Banke, Rajesh Jain. However, the gazette has explicitly stated that it would come into effect from the date of the publication. Nepali entrepreneurs are facing hard time in lack of implementation of the provision.

"The Indian government has added 122 types of herbals in its updated list", said Ahmad Guddu, Indian entrepreneur, adding that the updated list has included several herbal products of Nepal, including Pakhanved, Satabar, Amala, Padamchal, Chiraito, Kamalved, Kaladana, Ritha and Timur.

Around 15,000 tones of herbals have been already piled up in the store due to obstruction to the export on part of Indian quarantine.