Mahottari: Farmers in the Mahottari district feel relieved after receiving timely payments from the sugar industries. Payments were cleared within a week after farmers supplied their sugarcane, reported The Rising Nepal.
Everest Sugar and Chemical Industries made the payments within a week of buying the sugarcane.
However, farmers are still unhappy with the government’s support price. The government increased the price by Rs 20, setting it at Rs 585 per quintal. In addition, the government provides a grant of Rs 70 per quintal, which is distributed to farmers during the Dashain and Tihar festivals.
The sugar mill cleared the payments in three instalments over the last three weeks.
“We received the payments directly in our bank accounts, which has given us peace of mind. It has encouraged us to continue sugarcane farming,” said Arun Giri, a farmer from Bhanghaha-4.
Farmers had to wait for a long time, sometimes even three years, to receive their payments.
Everest Sugar and Chemical Industries General Manager Surendra Shukla said the company pays the farmers after weighing the produce every five days. He added that over Rs 250 million has been paid to farmers as of last week.
Sugarcane farming in Mahottari has increased this year. Currently, it spreads over 9,000 bighas of land, and the future is promising more growth.
