Declining sugarcane production: Obligation to carry out agitation every year to raise the amount of sugarcane sold

Kathmandu: Sugarcane production has been declining in recent years. Sugarcane cultivation and production are declining due to the hassle of pricing, harvesting, and payment of sugarcane.

When planting sugarcane, farmers have to struggle to get seeds. Farmers have been suffering due to the non-receipt of fair price and timely payment by sugar mills. Last year, about 6.5 million quintals of sugarcane were produced less. Last year, 14 million quintals of sugarcane were crushed. According to the National Federation of Sugarcane Producers, 28 million quintals of sugarcane was crushed in the previous year.

Declining sugarcane production also affects sugar production. Indigenous industries have been producing up to 220,000 tonnes of sugar. But the demand for sugar is 250,000 tonnes. Cash crop Sugarcane is widely cultivated in the Terai. But in sugarcane farming, the problem is bound to arise. Sugarcane farmers are now in agitation.

They have been agitating in Kathmandu saying that the previous commitment of the government to settle the arrears with the sugar industry has not been fulfilled. The struggle committee is preparing to make a written request to the government to make immediate payment to the farmers from the state treasury and collect interest from the industrialists.

Rakesh Mishra, the coordinator of the Sugarcane Farmers' Struggle Committee Sarlahi, said that the main demand was for the government to pay for it. The Ministry of Industry has stated that it is ready to address the issues raised by the sugarcane farmers. Joint Secretary of the Ministry Narayan Regmi said that he was ready to solve the problems of sugarcane farmers immediately and called for a discussion.