Dhangadi, September 14

Sugarcane farmers in Kanchanpur are grappling with a number of problems.

Sugarcane farmers in Punarbas and Belauri areas have been hit hard as scanty rainfall has resulted in crop failure. “Sugarcane requires more rain than other crops, and as our cultivation solely depends on rainwater, scanty rainfall has spoiled our crops this time,” said Amar Bahadur Sunar chairperson of Keshari Sugarcane Producers’ Group, Punarbas.

Sunar’s group alone has cultivated sugarcane in some 99 bigha land. “We wouldn’t have to depend on rainwater, if we had irrigation facility,” Sunar said, adding that sugarcane cultivation is done in some 1,200 bigha land  in Punarbas Municipality.

Sugarcane farmers have lamented lack of insurance of their crops. “Though sugarcane is cultivated in huge swathes of land, we have to use saplings that have not been researched. Sugarcane farming is thus risky,” said Ramesh Thapa chairperson of Sudurpashchim Sugarcane Producers Welfare Protection Committee. Thapa demanded that the government set up a sugarcane plantation research centre in the province.

Farmers also voiced their concerns about lack of market and fair price for their products. “As we don’t get payment on time, we have problems buying fertilisers and paying workers,” said Thapa.

Sudurpashchim Sugarcane Farmers’ Association Chair Hari Prasad Oli raised the issue of lack of access roads to ferry their products to the market.

“There are a few roads that link sugarcane farms to highways. But they are also in poor condition. Transporting sugarcane to the market has been a huge problem,” said Oli.

Farmers are also tormented by elephants that destroy their crops. “Elephants from Dudhuwa National Park on the Indian side of the border come to our fields and destroy crops,” said local farmer Khadak Khadka. He lamented that the problem has been persistent as  Punarbas Municipality is yet to repair broken electric fence to keep the wild tuskers away.