The government of Nepal delays payment of subsidies of Rs 520 million to sugarcane farmers

KATHMANDU, Dec 11: Sugarcane farmers are yet to receive Rs 520 million in subsidies promised by the government. Despite the government’s repeated promise to provide the subsidies to the farmers on time, the farmers have to struggle to receive the amount from the government almost every year. On top of that, the farmers have endure problems caused by the delay in payments for their produce by the sugar mills. Kapil Muni Mainali, president of the Federation of Nepal Sugarcane Producers’ Associations, said farmers have not received the full subsidies although the government had assured to release the amount before Dashain. “Although crushing of new harvest is about to start, farmers have not received their dues of last year,” he said. While fixing the floor price of sugarcane at Rs 540 per quintal last year, the government announced to provide transport subsidies of Rs 70 per quintal to the farmers. Mainali said around 40,000 farmers from Sarlahi, Nawalparasi and Kanchanpur districts ...