Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) lawmaker Gyan Bahadur Shahi has urged the government to restrict apple imports and prioritize domestic production.
Speaking at a meeting of the House of Representatives on Monday, Shahi said farmers were struggling to find markets for their apples as imported apples have flooded the market.
He claimed that Nepal imported apples worth more than Rs 10.55 billion in the previous fiscal year. According to him, apples worth Rs 1.05 billion were imported in the month of Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) alone last year.
Shahi also said the government had failed to adequately utilize Jumla’s agricultural potential. He said Jumla has around 38,486 hectares of arable land, but only about 11% of it is currently being cultivated. He urged the government to focus on bringing the remaining land under cultivation.
