Koshi Province's Cash Crop Boom Plus to Economy; Exports Surge

Koshi Province has experienced significant growth in the production of essential cash crops, including tea leaves, black cardamom, ginger, and broom grass. As per the Kakarvitta Plant Quarantine Office, in the first quarter of fiscal year 2080-81 BS (2023-24), 4,331 metric tons of tea leaves, worth approximately Rs 2.6 billion, were exported to India via the eastern Kakarvitta point. It is worth noting that Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar, and Dhankuta serve as central zones for tea production in eastern Nepal. Additionally, there has been an increase in demand for organic Nepalese tea within the European market.

In addition to this, exports of black cardamom, ginger, and broom grass from the eastern hilly districts are primarily directed towards India through the Kakarvitta point. Data indicates that during the same quarter, black cardamom exports reached nearly Rs 1.21 billion with a volume of 1,510 metric tons. Black cardamom thrives predominantly in loamy soils located in Ilam, Panchthar, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, and Khotang districts and possesses a considerable market value.

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Furthermore, the export of 1,793 metric tons of ginger - amounting to roughly Rs 230 million – was recorded at the Kakarvitta point within that same timeframe. Prior to exporting this produce, it undergoes processing in Jhapa and Ilam districts to ensure quality. Besides these cash crops aforementioned, broom grass enjoys substantial demand in India and Bangladesh. Chandeshwor Thakur – information officer at the Plant Quarantine Office – states that during the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal year alone, external trade saw around 2,417 metric tons of broom grass, valued at Rs 290 million. This plant is typically cultivated on the steep slopes of Nepal.