KATHMANDU: The country imported paddy worth over Rs 12 billion in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2021/22. The paddy weighing up to 426,357,810 kilograms was imported during this period.

Similarly, Nepal imported various species of paddy seedlings worth Rs 30 million from India and that of over Rs 14,000 from Bangladesh during the same period.

The import of paddy, paddy seedling and rice has been increasing for some years, showed the statistics of the Department of Customs.

Paddy weighing over 420 million kilograms were procured from India in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, according to the Department of Customs.