Budding Strawberry Industry in Nepal

Strawberries are not widely produced in Nepal. The country grows only a few tons of strawberries each year, and imports 20 tons more from India to satisfy local demand. However, the strawberry business has been growing over the last few years. Nepal’s different climatic zones allow the country to have multiple strawberry seasons. Farmers such as Keshar Agro Farms have started to produce strawberries meant for export.

The strawberries are grown both outside and inside greenhouses and are all pesticide-free. Keshar Agro Farms is in the process of becoming Organic Certified as well. Most Nepalese strawberries are hybrid varieties, most notably the Winter Dawn, Sweet Sensation, Sweet Charlie and Florida Beauty. The Sweet Sensation is the largest strawberry, weighing between 25 and 30 grams, and has a Brix level of 13-14, making it also the company’s sweetest variety. As the quality of strawberries is high, they are meant for export to Gulf states, such as Qatar. The average EXW price for Nepalese strawberries in Qatar is NPR 750 per kg (USD 6.62). Keshar Agro Farms expects to grow its strawberry exports yearly as the demand for strawberries is increasing in the Gulf states.