The sprawling Thok Bazaar of Butwal is a marketplace where of the total vegetables on sale 40 per cent are imported from India.

The Nepali market thrives on reliance over the Indian vegetable here. Although the products of the Nepali farmers are gaining more ground, almost all of the fruits are from India. The vegetables and fruits from India and China occupy almost all of the space of this marketplace.

The vegetables come from Palpa, Makawanpur, Dhading, Salyan, Rolpa and some from Argakhanchi of Nepal, but most of the vegetables and fruits are from India, Butwal Agro Product Thok Bazaar Administrative Committee Chairman, Kaladhar Panthi said. Of the total amount of fruits 50 to 80 per cent arrive from India while the rest from China.

However, Nepali apple is most popular among the consumers during the festive season as Bada Dashain, but still the Indian and Chinese apples are sold at other times. The Butwal's Thok Bazaar sees an annual transaction of around Rs 350 million. RSS