MAHOTTARI, Dec 17: Every year, the winter brings with it woe and anger for sugarcane farmers in Terai region.

It's the time the sugarcane was harvested. But this time, the farmers are reluctant to sell their produce to sugar mills. Reason- the price of their produces has not been determined by the authorities yet.

The sugar mills as well are ready to crush the cane but in absence of price determination, the farmers are confused whether they should sell their produces.

"Meanwhile, talks were held among government representatives, industry owners and sugarcane farmers associated with Federation of Sugarcane Producers Association (FSPA) and Sugarcane Producers Farmers Association(SPA) Mahottari several times but to no avail," lamented Naresh Singh Kushwaha, Chairperson of the Sugarcane Producers Farmers Association Mahottari.

Kushwaha assessed that the delay on the part of the authorities was nothing but vested interest and maneuver. According to him, they were dilly-dallying to fix sugarcane prices, thereby forcing them to sell their product for a reasonable price.

The FSPA's demand is fixing sugarcane in proportion to the inflation in sugar price. "Sugar cost Rs 72 per kg last year. This year, the government has told the sellers not to sell sugar beyond Rs 115 per kg," shared Kapilmuni Mainali, Chairperson of Federation.

He suggested the government consider determining the price of sugarcane in proportion to the inflated price of the sugar. The representatives of the Federation complained that government representatives were indifferent to fixing the sugarcane's price immediately.

The government representative, in the talk held a few weeks ago, had proposed unofficially to consider raising the price of sugarcane by Rs 11 per quintal, according to sugarcane farmers.

FSPA's Chairperson Mainali observed that the price of the sugar should be determined on a scientific basis. He opined that several factors should be taken into account while determining the sugar price.

"The price of our produce should be determined by considering how the farmers are getting to plough the farmland; how fertilizers are availed; how much wage is paid to workers and the cost and inflation in sugar price," he argued.

The sugar mills had procured sugarcane for Rs 540 per quintal last year. It may be noted that the government has been providing a Rs 70 subsidy per quintal in sugarcane farming. The demand of the Federation is that farmers should get Rs 750 (including subsidy) per quintal.

(RSS)

 
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