Parsa. In the first three months of the current fiscal year 2083/84, the import of food grains through Birgunj border has decreased by about 63 percent compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year.

According to the Birgunj Customs Office, 31.64 million kilograms of rice, maize, wheat, paddy, malt, buckwheat, millet and other food grains were imported from mid-July to mid-September of the current fiscal year. In the same period of the previous fiscal year, 87 million 47 thousand kilograms of food grains were imported.

According to Krishna Prasad Mainali, Chief Customs Administrator of the Customs Office, 67,73,629 kg of rice was imported in the first three months of the current fiscal year. In the same period of the previous fiscal year, 94.1 million kg of rice was imported. The value of rice import has also come down from Rs 89.81 crore in the previous year to Rs 70 crore in the current fiscal year.

There has also been a significant decrease in the import of paddy. In the first quarter of the last fiscal year, 39.1 million kg of rice was imported, while in the same period of the current fiscal year, only 69,35,460 kg was imported. The value of paddy import has come down to Rs 333.5 crore in the current fiscal year from Rs 1.46 billion in the previous year.

Similarly, the import of maize has also decreased. In the first three months of the last fiscal year, 336,12,810 kg of maize was imported, while in the current fiscal year, only 67,36,437 kg was imported. The value of maize import also declined to Rs 60.98 crore from Rs 1.80 billion in the previous year, according to the data of the customs office.

The import of buckwheat, millet and other food grains has also decreased. According to the Customs Office, the import of 23,41,655 kg in the first three months of the previous fiscal year has decreased to 16,40,555 kg in the same period of the current fiscal year.