Sugar price pinch DAMAULI: Consumers have been hit hard by the sudden increase in the price of sugar for the past one week. The price of sugar has reached Rs 80 from Rs 56 per kg these days. Local traders said they are compelled to sell sugar at an exorbitant price following unavailability of sugar provided by Salt Trading Corporation. Shops opened to sell the subsidized sugar are running out of sugar. However, the District Administration Office said no complaint about black marketing of sugar has been filed yet. Fund collection HETAUDA: A whopping Rs 20.5 million has been raised during a Mahayagya organised at Chauki tole, Hetauda. Land worth Rs 10.5 million and cash Rs 10 million were collected. Organising committe chairman Arun Sumargi said the collected money will go to Jyoti Primary School and Om Elderly Home. Two buildings will be built each for the school and elderly home, he said. Fertiliser sale down LAHAN: The sale of Nepali chemical fertilizer has decreased by 50 per cent in the southern belt of Siraha district due to fertilizer smuggled in from India. According to the Agricultural Equipment Company Limited sub-branch office at Lahan, the market for f Nepali fertilizer in the district’s southern area is occupied by smuggled Indian fertilizer. Fewer oranges SUNSARI: Orange-based industries are hit hard due to lack of oranges in Sunsari district. Industrialists said they did not get sufficient oranges for their factories to meet the demand. JGS Industries manager Ananta Bista said there were not enough oranges for producing jam, juice and squash He said he had to buy oranges from Kathmandu and Birtamod.