Nepal - 3.5.1 Food Suppliers | Digital Logistics Capacity Assessments

Nepal

Nepal - 3.5.1 Food Suppliers

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Nepal

Overview

image-20240425163834-1 Source: WFP Nepal

The above map illustrates the market centres, road networks and trade route in Nepal. In Nepal, there are various types of markets viz. national, regional and local markets which are categorized on the basis of size, area coverage and volume of trade. Most big markets (e.g. Birgunj, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj and Dhangadi) are located in the Terai belt and adjacent to Indian border because of easy access to roads, pocket area for food production and proximity to overseas trade (See Figure 4). Most international trades including India are often made from these markets, mainly from Birgunj which is major route for international trade (other than India) through Haldia port in Kolkata, India. Moreover, some hilly markets such as Kathmandu, Pokhara and Surkhet are also considered as major markets which can have larger influences on domestic food prices (e.g. cereals, lentils, vegetables, fish and meat etc.) in the national market. In addition to major markets, there are large number of market centers across the country, mostly located either at the district headquarters or at along the roadside, mainly in the major junctions. These markets (e.g., Dhankuta, Baglung, Ilam, Palpa, Jumla, Dipayal Silgadhi, Sanfebagar etc.) can also play a significant role to meet the local demand in the particular area and are the major market centers to purchase food and non-food items for the people living in remote areas of the mountain and hilly belts.

Despite being an agricultural country, Nepal imports a large number of agricultural commodities as processed and packaged food from other countries to fulfil the needs of its people. (Source: Nepal imports agricultural products worth Rs 250 billion in 10 months (nagariknetwork.com)

Because of a trade imbalance in food commodities as well as an overall trade deficit, cost of food in Nepal is expected to rise. The trend in food prices can be observed at: Nepal Food Inflation. Increased food costs, poor market access, and lack of land ownership have led to food deficit areas in the mid-west and far-west of Nepal.

WFP Vulnerability and Analysis Mapping (VAM): WFP Nepal – mVAM Market Update (January 2024)

For more information on food supplier contact details, please see the following link: 4.10 Supplier Contact List.

Retail Sector

Food and retail market in Nepal is expanding from urban to rural markets with an increase of access to roads and information technology. It is expected that the growth of retail markets is over 20 percent, indicating an opportunity of market expansion and investment. It also contributes nearly 15 percent of Nepal’s GDP and provide employment opportunities of over 1.2 million people across the country. In Nepal, local traders mostly hold the retail market business because the country does not exist global supermarket chains. However, the trend of operating supermarkets and marts is increasing over the period. For example, Bhatbhateni Supermarket, Big marts, Salesberry etc. including some local and small-scale marts are operating in different parts of the country.

Moreover, digital market has also been rapidly increasing in Nepal with increasing trend of digital payment mechanism and the prominence of social media like facebook and instrgram. The digital commerce market in Nepal is projected to grow by 9.62 percent (2024 – 2028) resulting in a market volume of an estimated of US$3.35bn in 2028. However Nepali e-commerce is more prevalent in urban areas where road and internet accesses are better.

Koshi Province

Types of Retailers Available
Type of Retailer	Rank (1-5) INDICATE the relative rank for this type of retailer; where 1 is the most commonly used by the population, and 5 is the least commonly used
Supermarket – concentrates mainly in supplying a range of food, beverage, cleaning and sanitation products; have significant purchasing power; are often part of national/regional/global chains.	5
Convenience Store/Mini Market – medium sized shop; offers a more limited range of products than supermarkets; usually has good/stable purchasing power; may be part of chain or cooperative.	4
Permanent shop with strong supply capacity – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; good storage and reliable supply options.	2
Permanent shop with limited supply capacity – individually/family owned store; offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; limited storage and unstable supply options.	1
Mobile Shop/Market Stand – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; may be found at outdoor markets, camps or unstable environments.	3

Madhesh Province

Types of Retailers Available
Type of Retailer	Rank (1-5) INDICATE the relative rank for this type of retailer; where 1 is the most commonly used by the population, and 5 is the least commonly used
Supermarket – concentrates mainly in supplying a range of food, beverage, cleaning and sanitation products; have significant purchasing power; are often part of national/regional/global chains.	5
Convenience Store/Mini Market – medium sized shop; offers a more limited range of products than supermarkets; usually has good/stable purchasing power; may be part of chain or cooperative.	4
Permanent shop with strong supply capacity – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; good storage and reliable supply options.	3
Permanent shop with limited supply capacity – individually/family owned store; offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; limited storage and unstable supply options.	1
Mobile Shop/Market Stand – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; may be found at outdoor markets, camps or unstable environments.	2

Bagmati Province

Types of Retailers Available
Type of Retailer	Rank (1-5) INDICATE the relative rank for this type of retailer; where 1 is the most commonly used by the population, and 5 is the least commonly used
Supermarket – concentrates mainly in supplying a range of food, beverage, cleaning and sanitation products; have significant purchasing power; are often part of national/regional/global chains.	3
Convenience Store/Mini Market – medium sized shop; offers a more limited range of products than supermarkets; usually has good/stable purchasing power; may be part of chain or cooperative.	2
Permanent shop with strong supply capacity – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; good storage and reliable supply options.	5
Permanent shop with limited supply capacity – individually/family owned store; offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; limited storage and unstable supply options.	4
Mobile Shop/Market Stand – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; may be found at outdoor markets, camps or unstable environments.	1

Supermarket chain stores are mostly limited to Kathmandu. Some of the largest chain stores, such as Bhatbhateni, Bigmart, Saleways and KK Supermarket are expanding to other cities in Nepal. International supermarket brands have not yet established stores in Nepal. Below are listed some of the largest supermarkets that have more than one outlet and offer local and imported consumer goods, food, beverages, cleaning and sanitation products: 

Bhatbhateni supermarket and departmental store 24 locations (12 outlets in Kathmandu Valley, plus stores in Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Butwal, Bharatpur, Dharan, Pokhara, Itahari, Birtamode, Birgunj, Dhangadhi and Janakpur) 
Saleways supermarkets (2 outlets in Kathmandu/Lalitpur, 2 stores in Pokhara) 
Big Mart supermarket, (74 outlets in Kathmandu Valley) 
KK Mart (5 convenience stores in Kathmandu/Lalitpur)
Bluebird Mart (2 outlets in Kathmandu)

Supplier Overview
Company Name	The Kathmandu Suppliers
Address	Banasthali, 16, Kathmandu 9851097662 Email: thekathmandusuppliers@gmail.com arjun_baniya1@yahoo.com https://kathmandusuppliers.com.np/
Does the supplier have its own production / manufacturing capacity?	No
Does the supplier have its own retail capacity?	Yes, and manages its own retail location and also delivers to consumers
Does the supplier have its own transport capacity?	Yes
Does the supplier have its own storage facilities?	Yes
Approximate Turnover in MT	200 MT monthly
Payment Methods Accepted	Cash and Cheques Accepted
Other Comments or Key Information	Provides services to Kathmandu and Lalitpur Districts

Gandaki Province

Types of Retailers Available
Type of Retailer	Rank (1-5) INDICATE the relative rank for this type of retailer; where 1 is the most commonly used by the population, and 5 is the least commonly used
Supermarket – concentrates mainly in supplying a range of food, beverage, cleaning and sanitation products; have significant purchasing power; are often part of national/regional/global chains.	5
Convenience Store/Mini Market – medium sized shop; offers a more limited range of products than supermarkets; usually has good/stable purchasing power; may be part of chain or cooperative.	2
Permanent shop with strong supply capacity – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; good storage and reliable supply options.	3
Permanent shop with limited supply capacity – individually/family owned store; offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; limited storage and unstable supply options.	4
Mobile Shop/Market Stand – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; may be found at outdoor markets, camps or unstable environments.	1

Lumbini Province

Types of Retailers Available
Type of Retailer	Rank (1-5) INDICATE the relative rank for this type of retailer; where 1 is the most commonly used by the population, and 5 is the least commonly used
Supermarket – concentrates mainly in supplying a range of food, beverage, cleaning and sanitation products; have significant purchasing power; are often part of national/regional/global chains.	5
Convenience Store/Mini Market – medium sized shop; offers a more limited range of products than supermarkets; usually has good/stable purchasing power; may be part of chain or cooperative.	4
Permanent shop with strong supply capacity – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; good storage and reliable supply options.	3
Permanent shop with limited supply capacity – individually/family owned store; offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; limited storage and unstable supply options.	1
Mobile Shop/Market Stand – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; may be found at outdoor markets, camps or unstable environments.	2

Karnali Province

Types of Retailers Available
Type of Retailer	Rank (1-5) INDICATE the relative rank for this type of retailer; where 1 is the most commonly used by the population, and 5 is the least commonly used
Supermarket – concentrates mainly in supplying a range of food, beverage, cleaning and sanitation products; have significant purchasing power; are often part of national/regional/global chains.	5
Convenience Store/Mini Market – medium sized shop; offers a more limited range of products than supermarkets; usually has good/stable purchasing power; may be part of chain or cooperative.	5
Permanent shop with strong supply capacity – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; good storage and reliable supply options.	2
Permanent shop with limited supply capacity – individually/family owned store; offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; limited storage and unstable supply options.	1
Mobile Shop/Market Stand – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; may be found at outdoor markets, camps or unstable environments.	3

Sudurpaschim Province

Types of Retailers Available
Type of Retailer	Rank (1-5) INDICATE the relative rank for this type of retailer; where 1 is the most commonly used by the population, and 5 is the least commonly used
Supermarket – concentrates mainly in supplying a range of food, beverage, cleaning and sanitation products; have significant purchasing power; are often part of national/regional/global chains.	5
Convenience Store/Mini Market – medium sized shop; offers a more limited range of products than supermarkets; usually has good/stable purchasing power; may be part of chain or cooperative.	4
Permanent shop with strong supply capacity – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; good storage and reliable supply options.	3
Permanent shop with limited supply capacity – individually/family owned store; offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; limited storage and unstable supply options.	2
Mobile Shop/Market Stand – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; may be found at outdoor markets, camps or unstable environments.	1

Wholesale

BLC Instant Foods Pvt. Ltd

Operating since 1998 A.D. BLC Instant Pvt. Ltd are mainly active in Agri business in Nepal with production and distribution of Sarvottam Lito (Baby Foods) Fortified Flour (Super Cereal). BLC Instant Foods is predominantly a national supplier.

Supplier Overview
Company Name	BlC Instant Food Pvt. Ltd
Address	Head Office: Thapathali, Kathmandu
Does the supplier have its own production / manufacturing capacity?	Yes, food processing.
Does the supplier have its own retail capacity?	Yes
Does the supplier have its own transport capacity?	Yes
Does the supplier have its own storage facilities?	Yes, 200 mt
Approximate Turnover in MT	NPR. 1.59 crore. yearly. (figures for 2079/80 B.S) approximately million USD (1$= 132 NPR)
Payment Methods Accepted	Any form of banking institutions
Other Comments or Key Information	Biscuits, flour mills, dairy, seed, and Flexi packs are manufactured by a sister company under BLC Group.

Other Locations
Region(s)	Service Location(s)
Koshi Province	Biratnagar, Nepal
Bagmati Province – Liaison Office/Depo	Kathmandu, Nepal

Description of availability of Major food items and Ready to Eat Food items.

	Seed & Flexi pack	Imported, processed, and available the whole year
	Dairy and flour mills	Manufactured locally and available the whole year
Ready to Eat (packaged food)	Biscuits	Manufactured locally and available the whole year

Seed & Flexi pack

Imported, processed, and available the whole year

Dairy and flour mills

Manufactured locally and available the whole year

Ready to Eat

(packaged food)

Biscuits

Manufactured locally and available the whole year

Nutri Foods Pvt. Ltd

Operating since 2004 A.D. Nutri Foods Pvt. Ltd is mainly active in Agribusiness in Nepal with the production and distribution of Wheat Flour, White Wheat Flour Semolina, Pulses, Oats, Fortified Flour (Super Cereal). Nutri Foods is predominantly a national supplier.

Supplier Overview
Company Name	Nutri Foods Pvt. Ltd.
Address	Head Office- Satghumti Road, Biratnagar, Nepal Corporate Office- 155 Panchayan Marga, Thapathali-11, Kathmandu, Nepal
Does the supplier have its own production / manufacturing capacity?	Yes
Does the supplier have its own retail capacity?	No
Does the supplier have its own transport capacity?	Yes. 1. Two Vehicles of 17 MT each load capacity 2. One Vehicle of 12 MT load capacity 3. Five Vehicles of 2.5 MT each load capacity
Does the supplier have its own storage facilities?	Yes. 18000 MT storage capacity
Approximate turnover in USD - $	NPR. 150 crores yearly. (Figures for 2076-2077 B.S) approximately 12.5 million USD (1$=120.76 NPR)
Payment Methods Accepted	Any form of Banking instruments
Other Comments or Key Information	Oil, Ghee, Instant noodles, and biscuits are manufactured by our sister company under the Sharda Group

Other Locations (Branches)
Region(s)	Service Location(s)
Koshi Province - Level 1	Biratnagar, Nepal
Bagmati Province-Liaison Office / Depo	Kathmandu, Nepal

Description of availability of major food items and ready-to-eat food items.

	Rice	Imported, processed, and available the whole year
	Lentil	Manufactured locally and available the whole year
Ready to Eat (packaged food)	Instant Noodles, Biscuit, Etc	Manufactured locally and available the whole year

Rice

Imported, processed, and available the whole year

Lentil

Manufactured locally and available the whole year

Ready to Eat

(packaged food)

Instant Noodles, Biscuit, Etc

Manufactured locally and available the whole year

Primary Goods / Commodities Available
Commodities by Type** (SITC Rev 4 Division Code - Title)		Comments
00 - Live animals (other than fish, crustaceans, molluscs, etc.)	Buffalo, Sheep , goats, swine, poultry, Duck etc.	A small quantity is imported from India and China and around 80% is produced locally. 25% of meat consumption is in festival season during October/November (Dashain, Tihar).
01 - Meat and meat preparations	Meat of bovine animals, meat of sheep, dried or smoked meat of swine, sausage	There is no large meat processing industry in Nepal, but one can find small butcher shops everywhere in the city and rural area. Beef is not consumed for religious reasons, but buffalo is consumed widely, incl. mutton, goat, chicken, duck, and pig.
02 - Dairy products and birds’ eggs	Milk, yogurt, butter, cheese, egg	Chicken/egg farming is a growing business in Nepal. In rural areas agricultural families often own one or two cows, buffalo, goats and some chickens per household. Nepal is self-sufficient on dairy, cheese and eggs. Although there is a general increase in the number of birds, cows, goats, buffaloes, ducks and rabbits in the financial year 2020, the number of chickens has decreased by 11% of chicken production. (Source: STATISTICAL INFORMATION.indd (moald.gov.np)
03 - Fish (not marine mammals), crustaceans, molluscs…	Fish (chilled or frozen), fish (salted or in brine), fish liver and roes	Fish culture is an emerging enterprise in the country, with carp and trout. River fish is also imported from India.   In the fiscal year 2022 A.D. 104,623 MT of fish was produced in fisheries and productivity was 5.3 metric tons per hectare in Nepal.
04 - Cereals and cereal preparations	Wheat, rice, flour of maize, pasta, pulse, noodles	Produced at local level. Import of fine rice from India has been growing. High quality pulses are exported, while lower quality lentils are imported from India (pasta is imported).Various brands of instant noodles are produced locally. In the fiscal year 2022, Cereals accounted for 50.56% of the production in the fiscal year 2022, followed by maize 26.96% and wheat 19.13%. (Source: STATISTICAL INFORMATION.indd (moald.gov.np)
05 - Vegetables and fruit	Vegetables, fruit and nuts, jams/jellies, fruit juice	Local fruits are about 10% of the market, with the rest dominated by imports of apple from China and banana, orange, mango and grapes from India.  In the fiscal year 2022, the total productivity including winter, summer and citrus varieties of fruits was 10.54 metric tons per hectare in Nepal.
06 - Sugars, sugar preparations and honey	Sugars (beet or cane) raw, natural honey, fruit/nuts preserved by sugar.	Honey is emerging as export product for Nepal. Sugar is imported from India.
07 - Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and manufactures thereof	Coffee, cocoa, chocolate, tea, mate, pepper	Nepal Exports Tea, Coffee, cardamom, turmeric and cinnamon, but imports cocoa, chocolate and pepper.
09 - Miscellaneous edible products and preparations	Ready-to-eat foods, margarine, sauces, soups and broths, yeast	Instant Noodles and ready-to-eat beaten rice (known as chiura) are very common in Nepal
41 - Animal oils and fats	Lard, fats and oils	Not a significant market
42/43 - Fixed vegetable fats and oils, crude, refined or fractionated	Soya bean oil, olive oil, mustard oil, sunflower and vegetable oil.	Some raw materials (soy, mustard seed) are sourced locally, but most is imported (sunflower, palm, soy) and refined and produced locally and sold locally. N Based on a comparison of 14 countries in 2021, Nepal ranked the highest in mustard seed production with 220,250 tonnes followed by Russia and Canada. On the other end of the scale was Iran with 3.26 tonnes, Kyrgyzstan with 14.1 tonnes and Bhutan with 331 tonnes.

**For FUEL/PETROLEUM products please see section 3.1 Fuel.

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Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.