August 18: The market for local products of Nepal has increased within the country due to curb on cross-border movement to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

This has discouraged the practice of going across the border to the Indian markets from Biratnagar and Kakadvitta in Province 1 since the last four months.

Prior to the lockdown, customers from Nepal used to spend an average of  Rs 50 million per day and Rs 1.5 billion every month in the Indian markets adjoined to Province 1.

Amit Sharma, an operator of a grocery shop at Biratnagar-4, Kanchanbari said that it has been four months since he started selling Nepali products only. He has kept Nepali products in his shop after the Indian goods from across the border stopped coming after the border was closed due to the lockdown.

“Nepali businessmen have not been able to export their products. Items such as biscuits, noodles, oil, lentils, and rice are mostly consumed here,” he said. While he used to sell products worth Rs 20,000 on a daily basis, he said he has been selling products worth Rs 40,000 these days after the lockdown was imposed.

According to the president of Birat Merchant Association, Sujan Thapa, the demand of sugar, oil, lentils, vegetables, fish, meat, rice, biscuits, and flour produced in Nepal has increased.

Of late, Bhat Bhateni Supermarket in Biratnagar has been selling 98% of vegetables grown in Nepal. Apart from potatoes and onion, they have been selling all the vegetables from the farmers of Province 1.

Binod Bhattarai, manager of Bhat Bhateni Supermarket, said that the produce of Nepali farmers have received a good market as well as better price after the border was closed.

According to him, sales of Nepali products in Bhat Bhateni have been increased by 50% during the lockdown. He further said that they have given priority to the local products of Province 1 such as Rumpum noodles, Century spices, and Goodlife biscuits.