Kathmandu, February 10
On the eve of Valentine’s Day, Nepal imposed an indefinite ban on the rose import, saying foreign roses might pose a risk of infections among domestic species.
The Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development on Thursday directed its 15 offices located at customs points not to allow the import of roses until the next notice is issued.
Whereas the circular does not specify the reason for the temporary rose import ban, its information officer Mahesh Chandra Acharya says the centre made the decision in view of the risks of infections likely to be brought by the rose import.
Nepal has a record of importing roses worth millions of rupees every Valentine’s Day and other times too. In the first six months of the ongoing fiscal year, Nepal imported 10,612 kg of roses worth Rs 1.33 million.
JB Tamang of the Nepal Floriculture Association says the import ban might impact the availability of roses in the market around Valentine’s Day as domestic production is insufficient.
