Sunsari : Local farmers in Dewanganj are struggling to compete with cheaper Indian vegetable imports, leading to significant losses and discouraging domestic production.

Ajay Mandal, a farmer from Dewanganj Rural Municipality-3, invested Rs 50,000 to cultivate cabbage despite facing challenges like labor shortages, fertilizer scarcity, and flood damage. However, he is now unable to fetch a fair price for his produce.

Gulabchan Mehta, another local farmer, highlighted the issue of cheaper Indian vegetables flooding the Nepali market. "Indian farmers have access to affordable seeds and fertilizers, reducing their production costs," he said. "We, on the other hand, face higher costs for these inputs, making it difficult to compete."

Ramdev Mehta from Inruwa-4 echoed these sentiments, stating that the daily influx of Indian vegetables makes it challenging to sell local produce. Chandan Mehta pointed out that Indian cabbage is sold at a significantly lower price of Rs 20-30 per kg, making it impossible for Nepali farmers to recover their investment.

As a result of the increasing import of vegetables like potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cauliflower, beans, and greens from India, local farmers are facing severe economic hardship. They have called upon local authorities to impose stricter regulations on Indian vegetable imports and promote domestic production to ensure a sustainable future for Nepali agriculture.