According to Trade and Export Promotion Center (TEPC), five NTIS goods -- silver jewelry, Pashmina, natural honey, woolen products and medicinal herbs & essential oils -- has recorded a significant drop during the period compared to the amount last year.[break]
Though the government recently announced that it is launching a new program to promote essential oil and medicinal herbs, TEPC data shows its exports declined by 122 percent to Rs 771 million during the first four months, compared to same period last year.
Export of noodles and hand-made papers also dropped by 20 percent and 16 percent respectively during the period and has landed at Rs 176.58 million and 168.38 million respectively. This situation prevailed despite the fact that Nepali noodles are popular in Tibet, while handmade papers are said to be in high demand in India, the US and some European countries.
Likewise, exports of silver jewelry, Pashmina and wool products also declined by 33 percent, 12 percent and 26 percent respectively to Rs 67.57 million, Rs 709.8 million and Rs 219 million respectively.
Although the government and exporters had jointly registered collective trade mark of Chyangra Pashmina in around three dozen major importing countries, traders said lack of promotional activities has largely prevented the country from reaping its benefits. "And some European buyers are still reluctant to buy Nepali silver jewelries on suspicion of presence of harmful chemical cadmium in the products," said exporters.
TEPC officials said export of natural honey during the period dropped by 97 percent, as buyers in the European markets continued to raise concerns over pesticide residue in it.
Despite decline in exports of these items, cumulative export of NTIS products increased because other products performed relatively well during the period.
For instance, TEPC data shows the export of black cardamom went up by 12 percent to Rs 854.29 million during the period. Export of ginger also went up by 193 percent to 482.1 million during the first four months of 2012/13.
Exports of lentil and tea also shot up by 66 percent and 21 percent respectively to Rs 1.26 billion and Rs 752.42 million respectively.
Apart from them, export of iron-steel products, the largest export item, also grew by five percent and crossed over Rs 3.83 billion during the period.
Among the goods selected under NTIS are large cardamom, ginger, honey, lentils, tea, noodles, medicinal, essential oils, handmade paper, silver jewelry, iron and steel, pashmina and wool. Similarly, NTIS has incorporated seven services, tourism, labor, health, and education, IT & Business Process Outsourcing, engineering and hydro-electricity.
Out of the 12 goods selected of NTIS, annual exports of ginger, essential oil, medicinal herb, noodles, hand-made papers and sliver jewelries stands below one billion rupees during the fiscal year 2011/12.
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