December 18:  With fixing of the date to crush the sugarcane by the sugar mills, sugarcane producing farmers have started harvesting sugarcanes. The government, however, has not shown any concern to fix the minimum support price for the sugarcane yet. 

Sugarcane producing farmers are busy harvesting sugarcanes in Sarlahi, Bara, Rautahat, Kapilvastu, Kailali, and Kanchanpur in Tarai. After a few days, they will start selling their produce. But, the government not fixing the support price has left them worried and disappointed. 

In the case of paddy, the government fixed the minimum support price after the paddy producing farmers had sold out their produce to manage their household expenses. Farmers with weak financial condition had sold out their paddy to the traders up to at Rs 800 per quintal cheaper price before the government determined the minimum support price.

Sugarcane Producing Farmers Struggle Committee Sarlahi’s Secretary Harishyam Ray says that almost all of the farmers had started harvesting the sugarcane as sugar mills had already fixed the date to crush the sugarcane.

“Sugarcanes have started drying up. Delaying to harvest them will lose their weight. The government should have fixed the minimum support price by now. We do not know why the government is delaying to fix the price”, Ray wondered. 

Ray informed he has planted sugarcane in three bigahas of the land. He used to plant sugarcanes in 18 bigahas of the land until four years ago. “Owing to delay to fix the minimum price, non-payment of the sugarcanes for a long time by mill owners, soaring cost of production, I have reduced sugarcane cultivation”, shared Ray. 

Sugarcane farmers have to protest to receive money of the their produce against sugar mill owners.
Sugarcane farmers from Tarai have staged the protest in Kathmandu to force the sugar mills to pay them for their produce in the past years.

The government had issued warning to arrest the sugar mill owners for non-payment to the farmers.  The government fixes minimum support price of paddy, wheat and sugarcane, among others, to ensure farmers’ cost of production and stop middlemen from cheating farmers.

Stakeholders, however, say that minimum price fixed by the government is a game to trick farmers.

Sugarcane Farmers’ Struggle Committee Coordinator Rakesh Mishra says that farmers can not benefit as the government delays to fix the price though the provision has it that the government has to determine the price before farmers plant the crops.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Agriculture, and Livestock Development, however, said that it was preparing to present the proposal to fix the minimum price of sugarcane to the Cabinet. 
 

Spokesperson Prakash Kumar Sanjel at the ministry said that sugarcane’s support price would be fixed in a matter of few days. “The ministry has completed all technical work. Now, we will hold a meeting with all stakeholders and fix the price”, added Sanjel. 

Farmers have been accusing the government of fixing the price arbitrarily by not inviting their representatives. They complain that support price is always lower than their cost of production since their representatives are not invited in the meeting held to fix the support price of the sugarcane. 

Sugarcane farmers have started selling their produce to jaggery industries at cheaper price since they are fed up with the government delay to fix the support price and non-payment of their produce by the sugar mill owners.