Sugarcane farmers to protest for subsidy hike

By Rabindra Upreti,Bardibas, Nov. 27: With the sugarcane crushing season about to begin, sugarcane-producing farmers across the country have intensified pressure on the government over subsidy and support-price issues and have announced a protest. 

Stating that their legitimate demands have not been heard, they have recently concentrated in Kathmandu, accelerating coordination and pressure-based activities. In a statement issued on Wednesday, chairpersons of the Sugarcane Producers’ Associations and the Sugarcane Producers’ Federation, urged the government to restore the sugarcane subsidy—reduced by Rs. 35—back to Rs. 70, and to set the minimum support price at Rs. 750 per quintal as agreed between the two sides. 

According to Mahashankar Thing, a central member of the Federation, the memorandum submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development on Tuesday afternoon has also been forwarded to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, as well as the Ministry of Finance.

Earlier, on Monday, a meeting of the federation and chairpersons of district sugarcane producers’ associations held in Kathmandu decided to stage a symbolic one-hour road blockade on Sunday, November 30 along the East–West Highway at Hariwan in Sarlahi. 

If the demands remain unaddressed, an indefinite blockade would be enforced to obstruct national highways.

According to Thing, the memorandum was submitted to the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Madan Prasad Pariyar, while a formal submission to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance was made on Wednesday. 

“The Agriculture Minister has assured us that he will look into our demands, so we are hopeful. We have been raising these justified demands since Bhadra, but with no hearing, we were compelled to announce a protest,” Thing said. He added that, since the ministry has asked for a few days’ time, the farmers have given the government until Saturday, November 29 to take a decision.

With the sugarcane crushing season approaching, the farmers’ protest announcement and the dispute over pricing and subsidies have raised concerns that this year’s sugarcane crushing and sugar production may be affected.