As the festival of Tihar approaches, sugar becomes one of the most sought-after commodities in the market. The festival's traditions, characterized by a delightful array of sweets and delicacies, make it the second most significant celebration in Hindu culture in Nepal. However, as the festive season unfolds, the nation grapples with a severe shortage of sugar. The demand for sugar surges as Tihar, the festival of lights and sweets, draws near. This situation not only results in a scarcity of sugar but also offers unscrupulous businesspeople an opportunity to hoard and profit from exorbitant pricing.

KATHMANDU, Nov 6: In response to the recent sugar crisis in the market, Salt Trading Corporation will provide retailers with up to 10 sacks of sugar for sale and distribution.

KATHMANDU, Nov 5: India has agreed to provide 25,000 metric tons of sugar to Nepal before the Tihar festival. A few days ago, after the shortage of sugar in the market, the government asked India to provide sugar through fast track.

KATHMANDU, Nov 3: Under the guidance of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, a coordinated effort has been initiated in Kathmandu to locate sugar that may have been illegally concealed within the valley.

KATHMANDU, Oct 30: Over the past few months, a persistent sugar shortage has led to increased prices for consumers in the country. However, it has come to light that a substantial quantity of sugar has been illicitly entering Nepal through the Indian border crossing.

KAVRE, Oct 20: Area Police Office, Banepa, has seized a total of 92 sacks of sugar that was brought by evading taxes.

Kathmandu, Sept 17: The Industry and Commerce and Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee under the parliament has directed the Finance Ministry to grant permission for the import of sugar at subsidized rates.

KATHMANDU, Sep 7: The retail price of sugar has soared to Rs 110 per kg in Kathmandu, following a wholesale price hike to Rs 105 per kg orchestrated by intermediaries within the sugar industry.

KATHMANDU, May 30: The government has reduced the customs duty on sugar and jaggery.

KATHMANDU, April 30: After wheat and rice, India will also now stop exporting sugar. The Indian government has started preparations to stop the export of sugar after it became difficult to meet the domestic demand.

BIRENDRANAGAR, Nov 5: The temporary police post Babai, Surkhet located in Bheri Ganga Municipality-5 has seized a large amount of sugar that was being brought evading customs tax. The truck (Bhe 1 Kha 3041) carrying illegally brought sugar was taken under control when it was heading to Surkhet from Kailai.

KATHMANDU, Nov 3: The Indian government has extended the ban on sugar export by an additional one year.

KATHMANDU, Sept 22: Even though the government has set up fair price shops to give some respite to the consumers from the rising prices during the festival, consumers have to buy sugar at a high price this year during Dashain. Although the government has been selling sugar at concessional rates every year during the festival, there are signs that sugar will become more expensive this year.

KATHMANDU, Sept 14: Nepal has requested India to lift restrictions imposed on the export of wheat, sugar and rice.

KATHMANDU, August 27: India is considering lifting the ban on export of wheat and sugar to Nepal. The ban has been in place for the past two months.

KATHMANDU, August 21: The government is importing 50,000 tons of sugar for the approaching Dashain and Tihar festivals to preempt any possible shortage of the sweetener during the festivals.

BARA, July 8:  A pickup van loaded with sugar from Dhodharpa of Kolhabi Municipality was impounded by the District Police Office of Bara on Wednesday night. According to the police, 49 bags of sugar that had been smuggled into the country without paying customs duty to the government were seized.

KATHMANDU, Sept 9: Salt Trading Corporation (STC) has started the process of importing 20,000 tons of sugar targeting to ease the supply of the sweetener during the upcoming festivals.

For more than two weeks sugarcane farmers from Tarai staged protests in Kathmandu against mill owners until the government signed a deal to address all their concerns on Friday. The farmers, who provide raw materials for sugar by selling which the mill owners make huge profits, have not been paid for years. In fact, getting the payment for their products has been a long ordeal for them.  They staged protests in their respective districts and drew the attention of the district authorities too.

KATHMANDU, Oct 20: The demand of sugar is generally higher during the festive season, creating more business for producers and traders. However, they are complaining of low business even during the recently-concluded Dashain and upcoming Tihar festivals this year.

COPENHAGEN, July 16: Baby foods on market generally contain too much sugar, posing a source of health concern, a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

NAWALPARASI, May 2: Domestic sugar product worth amounting to millions of rupees has been stocked for long in lack of market. Sugar mills in west Nawalparasi are struggling enough to clear their stock due to market competition, said entrepreneurs.

KATHMANDU, April 30: Though Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had said that he was ‘tricked’ by sugar mills to restrict the import of sugar, the government has continued the quantitative restriction until mid-July. The restriction that was in place until Chaitra end (April 13) was extended till mid-July.

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MAHOTTARI, Feb 1: The workers at Everest Sugar and Chemical Industries Limited in Ramnagar, Mahottari have continued their hunger strike today to press the industry administration to address their demand.

Children have on average already eaten more sugar than the maximum amount recommended for an 18-year-old by the time they reach their 10th birthday, a study suggests.

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KATHMANDU, Nov 21: The parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has endorsed the report submitted by a sub-committee, which among others, calls for an investigation into the recent artificial price hike of sugar, particularly during the festival season.

Apart from being visibly apathetic toward the woes of sugarcane farmers, the government authorities responsible for handling sugar supplies and market monitoring are found to have committed serious negligence in fixing the price of sugar in the local market, at the cost of financial burden to the customers just ahead of Dashain,

RAUTAHAT, Oct 13: Shree Ram Sugar Mills Limited of Garuda, Rautahat has started meetings with cane farmers to buy time to pay the latter’s dues, following a directive by the government earlier this week to clear all dues within five days.

The case for sheltering sugar mills behind a quota, or a tariff, wall in order to safeguard the livelihoods of sugarcane farmers rests on shaky grounds

KATHMANDU, Oct 9: Members of a sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) formed to look into the soaring prices of consumable goods, including sugar, on the eve of festive season, have questioned whether sugar mills had made commitment with the government to not raise sugar price before imposing restriction on sugar imports.

KATHMANDU, Oct 7: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav has claimed that there was no shortage of sugar in the market. At a program organized on Sunday, Minister Yadav said, "The rumour of shortage of sugar in the market is untrue. There is no shortage of sugar in the market."

KATHMANDU, Oct 5: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament has formed a sub-committee to look into the recent rise in prices of daily consumer goods, including sugar, on the eve of Dashain, Tihar and Chhath festivals.

KATHMANDU, Oct 4: Public Account Committee of the Parliament has directed the government to fix the price of sugar at Rs 63 per kilogram.

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KATHMANDU, Sept 19: The country will not be importing sugar until the end of the current fiscal year, a move that is sure to drive sugar prices up in the domestic market.

KATHMANDU, Sept 8: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the import of sugar would be halted for time being as there was adequate stock in the country.

KATHMANDU, June 19: Sugar mills that have been delaying payment to sugarcane producers are next in line to face action from Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, according to the ministry.

SARLAHI, June 18: Sarlahi-based Indu Shankar Sugar Mill has started making payments to sugarcane farmers at rates lower than that determined by the government. The mill has been paying Rs 70.64 less than the government's rate per quintal of sugarcane.

KATHMANDU, June 11: Sugar price is expected to go down in the domestic market as its price is falling in neighboring India, officials of Nepal Retailers Association (NRA) say.Although the government has imposed 15 percent customs duty on sugar, retailers say it won't be sufficient to stop import of sugar from international market.

KATHMANDU, June 12: Sugar price is expected to go down in the domestic market as its price is falling in neighboring India, officials of Nepal Retailers Association (NRA) say.

SARLAHI, June 3: The Indu Shankar Sugar Mill has halted the payment to the sugarcane farmers, stating that it needed time to analyze the effects on the industry that the budget for Fiscal Year 2018/19 could make.

MAHOTTARI, May 23: Sugarcane producers have padlocked Everest Sugar and Chemical Industries, one of the largest sugar mills of the country, after the mill failed to settle their outstanding payments.

KHOTANG, April 23: The District Administration Office of Khotang has sealed a shop and its godown after completing investigation on a public complaint regarding presence of carbamide (urea) in sugar at Diktel bazaar.

KHOTANG, April 16: Complaint about the supply of adulterated sugar from a shop based in Diktel has prompted the District Administration Office, Khotang to probe the matter.

KATHMANDU, April 10: Police have arrested Brij Mohan Gupta, the financial manager of Eastern Sugar Mill, for not paying outstanding dues to sugarcane farmers.

SARLAHI, April 7: Indu Shankar Sugar Industry of Sharlahi has started clearing its long outstanding dues of sugarcane farmers.

RAUTAHAT, MARCH 27: Thousands of sugarcane farmers in Rautahat district are suffering as abrupt closure of Garuda-based Shree Ram Sugar Mills has forced them to sell canes to middlemen at lower price.