Sugarcane farmers and sugar factories have been hit hard as concerned authorities fail to fix price of sugarcane.

 

Discussion held last year between the representatives of sugarcane farmers, sugar factories and government officials to determine sugarcane price had failed. Government officials had proposed to fix the price at Rs 461 per quintal, which was rejected by the sugar factories.

The discussions had concluded without coming to terms on the price. Factories had made advance payments to the farmers at the rate of Rs 350 per quintal in hope that the prices will be fixed by the time they have to make the final payments to the farmer. However, in lack of resolution so far, the farmers are yet to receive payments for the sugarcane they supplied last year.

 

Rautahat, Bara and Sarlahi district farmers are yet to receive the payment of Rs 30.5 million from Garuda-based sugar mill. It will take at least six months for the farmers to receive their payments, according to present status.

 

Farmers have accused the government for the delay claiming that it has not been serious towards their concerns. They demanded the government to set the price at the earliest. "Farmers are not able to get their full payments due to failure on the government's part to set sugarcane price," said Ashok Prashad Yadav, chairman of Sugarcane Production Association, Rautahat. "Farmers should be able to get the set price before they sell sugarcane to the factories. The government should settle the matter at the earliest," he added.

 

Sugar factory operators said they would make payments to farmers as soon as the price is fixed while claiming that their businesses are bearing losses due to decreasing sugar price in the market.