Nepal: A new and innovative market with mountain high prospects

By Philip Shull, South Asia Technical Adviser 

Thanks to perseverance and partnership, the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance’s (SSGA) marketing efforts in Nepal are paying off for U.S. Identity Preserved soy! After meeting with key food industry leaders at workshops co-sponsored with the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), an energetic importer accepted SSGA’s invitation to attend its first International Identity Preserved Summit in Hawaii in 2023. Shortly thereafter, Shree Radhe Rani International Trading became the first company in South Asia to purchase U.S. Identity Preserved soy on commercial terms. Moreover, they became the world’s first identity preserved soy importer officially certified to use the “U.S. Identity Preserved” logo on its products. 

The tremendous diversity of soy foods consumed in Nepal makes the outlook for future exports to Nepal exceptionally bright. An SSGA delegation got to see some of the dozens of products (e.g. snack foods, traditional sweets, roasted and fried nuts, specialized foods for infants and lactating mothers, flours, tofu, soymilk, protein mix, etc.) during SSGA’s Identity Preserved Workshop in September 2024 Kathmandu.  

While soy has been part of the Nepali diet for centuries, processors have not had access to the specialized characteristics and consistency U.S. suppliers can provide. Several major processors are now using U.S. Identity Preserved soy in their products and report an enthusiastic consumer response. Plans for exporting these top-quality products are already underway. 

We are pleased to report Mr. Gaurav Agrawal of Shree Radhe Rani and three of Nepal’s major processors and retailers of soy foods plan to attend this year’s Identity Preserved International Summit in Honolulu – and will bring samples for tasting. These samples will allow all attendees to taste why we believe prospects for this brand-new U.S. Identity Preserved “Fork to Farm” partnership are, like Nepal’s Himalayan Mountains, among the highest in the world.