Mahottari. Sugarcane farmers of Madhes, including Mahottari, have demanded the government to provide subsidy. The farmers have urged the government to reconsider the federal government’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83 BS as the subsidy on sugarcane cultivation has not been addressed. The farmers are demanding that the subsidy should be addressed.
Mahendra Mahato, a farmer of Bardibas-9, said, “The government’s subsidy on agriculture was a big relief, but this time it did not fall in the budget.” Almost all sugarcane farmers like Mahato have been demanding that the grants they have been getting from the past should be addressed. For the last seven years, the government has been giving subsidy to sugarcane farmers according to the weight of sugarcane submitted to the sugar industry.
Arun Giri, a 50-year-old farmer from Ramnagar of Bhangaha-4, who has been cultivating sugarcane for two decades, said, “We have not been able to get the price as per the time.” He said that the government has not addressed the subsidy given on sugarcane cultivation in the coming year, so now we have to think about alternative farming. Although it was a little late, getting the grant in lump sum helped in household and farming.
Farmers have complained that the subsidy given by the government to sugarcane farmers has not been addressed in the budget for the coming fiscal year 2082/83 BS. Although the government has provided a subsidy of Rs 70 per quintal of sugarcane in the current fiscal year, farmers are now doubting whether they will get it or not. However, 14,533 farmers of Mahottari, who gave sugarcane to Everest Sugar Industry in the fiscal year 2081/82 BS, have been recommended for Rs 217.291 million, according to the Fund and Accounts Control Office. Doubts have been raised about whether the farmers will get this amount, which was expected to be received before the coming Dashain, due to the lack of mention about the subsidy in the proposed budget of the coming year. Earlier, in the fiscal year 2080/81 BS, 14,444 farmers in the district had received Rs 203.3 million as subsidy before the last Dashain.
Thakur Prasad Singh Kushwaha, a farmer of Bardibas-13, said, “We did not get a fair price for sugarcane as per the market price hike, but in the last three to four years, the sugar industry has simplified the payment process and the government has also given subsidy.” Naresh Singh Kushwaha, president of sugarcane growers’ association, said that there was no situation for continuation of this farming as the subsidy was not addressed in the budget for the coming year. He said the government should reconsider the grant. ’
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