Kapil Muni Mainali, president of the Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Association, said movement of vehicles in and out of the factories came to a standstill during the hour-long protest. Mainali said sugarcane farmers in Sarlahi and five other districts in eastern Nepal started their protest simultaneously.[break]
Farmers staged sit-ins at Everest Sugar Mill in Mahottari, Indu Shankar Sugar Mill in Sarlahi, Shree Ram Sugar Mill in Bara and some other sugar mills in Morang and Sunsari districts. The protest brought operation of factories to a grinding halt.
“The factories have denied to implement the price of sugarcane even after two months of signing the agreement with us,” Mainali said, adding: “We will extend duration of sit-in every day till Sunday.”
If the factories did not implement the new price by then, the farmers have warned of blocking vehicular traffic on East-West Highway from Monday. Farmers in Nawalparasi, however, withdrew their protest programs after local factories agreed to implement the new rates.
Sugarcane farmers had warned of stringent protest from Sunday after Sugar Mills Association failed to implement the new rates that it had reached with representatives of farmers on November 7. Sugar mills then had agreed to fix price for sugarcane in line with the price offered by Indian mills. As per the agreement, sugar mills have to pay farmers Rs 483 for a quintal of sugarcane.
“Sugar mills are going against the spirit of the agreement,” Mainali said, adding that the mills have offered farmers only Rs 464 per quintal.
Last year, sugar mills had offered Rs 411 for a quintal of sugarcane.
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