Sugarcane farmers to get their dues

Bara, October 10

Sugarcane farmers were elated after the government directed sugar industries to release the amount owed to sugarcane farmers within five days.

The farmers are yet to get paid for the sugarcane they sold seven months ago. A meeting of ministers, along with secretaries from different departments, held in Kathmandu on Monday directed entrepreneurs to release the due amount to farmers. The farmers are happy at the prospects of getting paid ahead of the festivals. Along with their excitement, the farmers are suspicious the government’s decision might fall on the deaf ears of entrepreneurs.

Narayan Ghimire, a farmer of Jitpursimara sub-metropolis said the entrepreneurs might betray farmers as they had ignored the decision of the government earlier. “Nevertheless, we are quite hopeful this time,” he added. Another farmer Goma Yadav said they were hopeful after the government’s direction.

Meanwhile, Nepal Sugarcane Producers’ Farmers Association District Working Committee, Bara, Secretary Gorakh Yadav said entrepreneurs had to pay  Rs 29 crore to the farmers. More than 12,000 farmers are engaged in sugarcane farming in 14,000 bigaha land in the mill areas of Bara and Parsa districts.