Nepal has conducted methyl bromide fumigation for the first time at the Integrated Check Post in Nepalgunj, nearly five decades after the legal framework was established. The lack of fumigation facilities had previously blocked exports of herbs and pine cones to India, leaving nearly 2,000 tonnes stranded in storage for years. Following persistent lobbying by the Herbal Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal, fumigation has now started, with 40 tonnes processed initially. Authorities say exports have resumed, with close to 100 containers already cleared, although exporters continue to demand a reduction in the existing 100 percent export tax.
