Tea entrepreneurs have been urging the government to take initiatives for third-country markets, saying that India has repeatedly obstructed them.
KATHMANDU:- The Nepal government has taken the initiative to find a diplomatic solution to the issue of the closure of the tea industry, citing problems in tea exports to India.
Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Gauri Kumari said in a meeting of the House of Representatives on Wednesday that diplomatic efforts are being made to resolve the problems seen in the export of tea produced in Ilam and Jhapa to India.
Responding to questions raised during the discussion on the appropriation of the Ministry of Industry under the Appropriation Bill, 2083 BS in the House of Representatives, he said that a special plan has been made for the storage and marketing of agricultural produce including tea and cardamom.
From May 1, 2026, the Indian Tea Board had implemented Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for tea imported to India. Tea industrialists and farmers of Ilam, who have not been able to send tea easily, have launched a protest after India tightened its restrictions on tea imports.
Since May 1, Nepali tea exports to India have been hampered by laboratory testing and certification issues, and tea factories in Ilam and Jhapa have been closed, resulting in the destruction of even tea that has already reached India in warehouses.
In the federal parliament, lawmakers have been drawing the government’s attention to finding a solution to this problem. House of Representatives member Niskal Rai urged the government to resolve the problem in the meeting on Wednesday.
Tea entrepreneurs have been urging the government to take initiatives for third-country markets, saying that India has repeatedly obstructed them. Tea entrepreneurs say that they have been forced to close the industry after the government failed to show interest in the problems of tea entrepreneurs who have repeatedly requested diplomatic initiatives from India.
Ilam Municipality issued a press release on Wednesday, urging the government to immediately find a solution to the problems arising from tea, which are directly related to farmers, workers, industrialists, and the country’s economy, through diplomatic initiatives.
Tea traders demonstrated with placards at Suryodaya Municipality in Ilam on Wednesday, saying that the government has not shown interest despite repeated requests to take diplomatic initiatives with India. The protest rally, which started from the Gumbapath in Fikkal Bazaar of Suryodaya Municipality, has been held in front of the Suryodaya Municipality after going around the market. The meeting was addressed by the acting mayor of the municipality, Durga Kumar Baral. The municipality had earlier also written to the government to resolve the problem through diplomatic initiatives of tea.
Suryodaya Orthodox Tea Producers Association has stated that it has been forced to close the industry due to the inability to pay the farmers even after purchasing tea from them and the lack of space to process and store the tea even after purchasing it. The association has also decided to hold a phased protest with farmers and workers from Thursday. It has submitted a memorandum for initiatives to resolve this problem.
The Tea Alliance of Nepal has issued a press release stating that all industries affiliated with the alliance will be closed from Thursday, citing the current situation of not being able to pay farmers due to the lack of tea exports.
Meanwhile, the association has submitted a memorandum to the Government of Nepal through Jhapa Chief District Officer Shivaram Gelal for initiatives to resolve this problem.