SARLAHI: The agitated sugarcane farmers of Sarlahi district have called off their protest as of Thursday.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Sugarcane Farmers’ Joint Struggle Committee, opting to pause their local protest and redirect their efforts to Kathmandu to intensify pressure on the government.
Their primary demand was to fix the price of sugarcane at Rs. 750 per quintal for this year, and they urged for the immediate disbursement of the Rs. 70 subsidy promised by the government for sugarcane sold a year prior.
Raj Kumar Upreti, president of the Millgate Sugarcane Producers Committee in Sarlahi, confirmed plans to stage a protest in Kathmandu, coordinating with representatives from other districts.
Their strategy involves engaging with relevant ministries and parliamentarians to ensure their concerns are heard. The government recently set the price of sugarcane at Rs. 635 per quintal, accompanied by a government subsidy of Rs. 70, which wasn’t satisfactory to Sarlahi’s sugarcane farmers.
The farmers are adamant about the price increase, proposing Rs. 750 per quintal, aligned with the surge in sugar prices. The Sugarcane Farmers Joint Struggle Committee issued a press statement on Thursday evening, emphasizing the need for assurance regarding the subsidy for the sold sugarcane.
Despite the government setting the price, the delay in receiving the promised subsidy for sugarcane sold a year ago fueled the protest.
As the sugarcane farmers ease their agitation, Indushankar Sugar Mills, the country’s largest sugar mill located in Harion, is set to commence crushing sugarcane within a few days. The mill has already reached out to farmers, urging them to sell their sugarcane, as the plants in the fields have begun to dry due to the delay in the mill’s operation.
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