KATHMANDU: With the sugarcane selling season underway in Bara, farmers are intensifying efforts to harvest and deliver their crops to mills.
From morning to evening, farmers are busy in the fields cutting sugarcane and preparing it for transportation to the district’s only sugar factory, Reliance Sugar Mills.
For many farmers, sugarcane cultivation provides employment at home and has contributed to improving household living standards.
The government has set the minimum price for sugarcane at Rs 620 per quintal for the fiscal year 2025/26, with an additional subsidy of Rs 70, bringing the total to Rs 690 per quintal. However, farmers have expressed concerns that the price is insufficient given rising production costs. Farmers’ representatives had demanded Rs 750 per quintal.
As in previous years, disagreements over pricing have led to tensions between farmer representatives and sugar mill officials.
Sugarcane remains the main cash crop for farmers in Bara, and they expect that fair pricing and timely payments will strengthen the rural economy.
In Nepal, sugarcane is planted between February and harvested about 10 to 12 months later, from December to January. With the onset of winter, harvesting and transportation to mills intensify.
Photos: Nepal Photo Library
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