Kathmandu —
More than half of all agricultural loans in Bagmati Province are concentrated in Kathmandu District, according to the latest Economic Activity Study of Bagmati Province released by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).
As of mid-July 2025 (Ashad 2082 BS), banks and financial institutions in Bagmati Province have disbursed Rs 121 billion in agricultural loans. The NRB report shows that agricultural lending in the province rose by 1.3 percent, reversing the 5.1 percent decline recorded in the previous fiscal year.
Agricultural loans make up 3.7 percent of total lending by banks and financial institutions in the province. Of all agricultural loans issued nationwide, 36.16 percent were disbursed within Bagmati Province.
District-wise data show Kathmandu holds the largest share of agricultural loans at 52.6 percent, followed by Chitwan (23.1 percent), Makwanpur (4.7 percent), Kavrepalanchok (4.3 percent), and Dolakha (0.5 percent) — the smallest share in the province.
The NRB report indicates that agricultural credit is heavily concentrated in Kathmandu and Chitwan. This pattern is attributed to most central and regional bank offices — which approve large portions of agricultural loans — being located in Kathmandu.
In terms of agricultural land use, Chitwan accounts for the largest share of land under food and cereal crops (13.1 percent), while Bhaktapur has the smallest (1.7 percent). Kathmandu’s share stands at 3.1 percent.
For vegetable and horticultural crops, Kavrepalanchok leads with 19.8 percent, followed by Kathmandu (5.7 percent) and Bhaktapur (1.8 percent).
Regarding fruit cultivation, Sindhuli tops the list with 28.6 percent, Makwanpur’s share is negligible, and Kathmandu records 1 percent. Similarly, for spice crops, Sindhuli again leads with 23.9 percent, while Bhaktapur has 0.3 percent and Kathmandu holds 0.8 percent.