Kathmandu: Farmers in Nepal have started harvesting sugarcane after the government hiked the minimum support price of the crop by 8.39 per cent to Rs 590 (Nepalese Rupee) per quintal, reports Kathmandu Post.
The government had recently declared the increase in the cane price which includes a government subsidy of Rs 70 per quintal to be paid to the cane farmers.
The farmers are not happy with the increase citing that the input costs for cane cultivation have increased manifold. The increase in the labour cost, tractor, seeds, and fertilizers have been increased and compared to this increase in the cane price is meagre, said farmers.
Every year, based on the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development recommendations, the floor price of sugarcane is announced before the harvesting season. This year the announcement was delayed by two months.
The government has started fixing the MSP for sugarcane in 2018. Earlier the cane prices were fixed based on the rate paid by Indian sugar mills to the cane farmers.
The rates fixed by the government for cane crops are not fascinating, therefore farmers are shifting to other crops.
