Biratnagar, December 25 :

Sugarcane farmers in Morang and Sunsari districts, demanding to raise the price of sugarcane, have decided to go on strike. They are forced to go on strike as Eastern Sugar Mills Ltd (ESML) could not give them the right price of their produce, sugarcane farmers complained. Some 10,000 sugarcane farmers of Morang and Sunsari held a gathering today at Amahibelha and decided to go on strike.

Earlier on December 1, a gathering of sugarcane farmers demanded to fix Rs 225 per quintal of sugarcane. Nepal Sugarcane Farmers’ Association (NSFA) and Nepal Sugarcane Federation (NSF) had earlier determined Rs 205 for a quintal of sugarcane. The protest programme includes putting black flags in the vehicles carrying sugarcane from Tuesday and stopping the supply of sugarcane to the sugar mill on December 31, January 1 and 2.

“Sugarcane farmers are submitting their demands to District Agriculture Office (DAO) in Morang and Sunsari as well as to eight parties,” Murari Ghimire, secretary of NSFA, said adding that similar memorandum demanding a rise in the sugarcane price was submitted to ESML two weeks ago. It has been purchasing a quintal of sugarcane at Rs 168 from its gate. And it has been purchasing sugarcane from the fields of farmers at Rs 159 for a quintal.

“We are forced to go on strike since the price of fertilizers and fuel has gone up by 40 per cent and the labourers’ wages have also been raised by 75 per cent,” Ghimire said adding that the labourers’ wages have been raised from Rs 60 to Rs 125.

Sugarcane is planted in some 7000 hectors of land in Morang and Sunsari this year. “About 18,00,000 quintals of sugarcane would be produced this year,” Morang-Sunsari Sugarcane Producers’ Association said adding that Bagmati Sugar Mills in Nawalparasi has been purchasing the sugarcane at Rs 190 per quintal and Lumbini Sugar Factory in Bhairahawa is purchasing at Rs 192 per quintal this year.