Sugarcane farmers are protesting in Kathmandu demanding subsidy amount, they will protest against the government until August 15, demanding that subsidy amount not be cut, dairy farmers are also preparing to protest.
What you should know
Sugarcane farmers have started a protest in Kathmandu saying that the government has reduced the amount of subsidy they should get for the sale of sugarcane produced by them to only 50%. On the other hand, dairy farmers are also preparing for the agitation at this time.
About 600 sugarcane farmers from 13 districts have come to Kathmandu in preparation for a four-day protest. The sugarcane farmers are protesting from Gaushala to Maitighar and are staging sit-in at Maitighar Mandal. As part of the program of the movement, farmers demonstrated at Maitighar Mandal on Sunday. The main purpose of the movement is grant money. The government has cut the annual subsidy. The subsidy received by the farmers cannot be cut," said Shyambabu Rai, Acting President of the Sugarcane Producers' Federation, "The movement will not stop until the government gives the subsidy." This year, showing the pressure of resources, the government has reduced the incentive subsidy by 50 percent. The Cabinet meeting on June 23 reduced the subsidy amount to Rs 35 per quintal. Sugarcane farmers protested against the reduction of subsidy amount.
"On June 27, after the government decided to reduce the subsidy, we submitted a memorandum to Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Ramnath Adhikari, Industry, Commerce and Supply Minister Damodar Bhandari and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel," Rai said, "We did not get to meet Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli when we asked for time to express the farmers' demands and complaints." After that, the meeting of the Federation on July 10 decided to hold a protest.
Rai said that the memorandum was submitted to the Chief District Officer on July 18 as part of the first phase. After no hearing, a movement focused on the highway was held on July 20. But now he has decided to hold a protest in the valley on August 8.
The four-day movement will take place from 12 noon to 4 pm. They say that if the government does not address the demand, it will be presented more strictly. According to sources, the Ministry of Agriculture wanted to keep the subsidy amount at Rs 70 per quintal. The ministry had proposed Rs 70 per quintal last December. But it could not be decided due to lack of resources. After that, out of the budget of 800 crores with agriculture, it was decided to give it to the farmers at the rate of 35 rupees per quintal. According to the ministry, Rs 75/76 crores will be spent annually even at the rate of Rs 35 per quintal.
Last November, the government had fixed the support price of sugarcane at 585 rupees per quintal. This price will be provided by the sugarcane mill to the farmers. Despite an increase of 20 rupees per quintal from last year, no decision was made about the subsidy to be given to farmers . Although the subsidy was decided on June 23, the amount was reduced by 50 percent. Sugarcane farmers have protested against it.
Dairy farmers are also preparing for the agitation
Sugarcane farmers are agitating saying that the subsidy amount has been reduced, on the other hand, the dairy farmers have also started preparing to protest. Dairy farmers have said that if they do not get payment by August 15, they will protest at different stages. They say that although there was an 11-point agreement on June 16, 2081 to meet the demands of dairy farmers, it has not been implemented yet. Warning to pay by August 15, dairy farmers said they will strike if payment is not made.
"Despite many agreements being made, government and private dairies are not implemented. Farmers have always been cheated. Now, even in the dry season, the arrears owed by farmers are 3.5 billion rupees," said Ram Prasad Acharya, general secretary of Central Dairy Cooperative Association, "We have given time till August 15 to pay the arrears." If not, we will protest in a different way.
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Farmers are currently enjoying an undeclared milk holiday, he said. Acharya emphasized that even though there is no milk holiday from the private sector, the milk holiday has been done by government institutes and it should be stopped immediately. "Milk holiday has been created in Kavre, Rupandehi and other districts because there is more milk now, even though it is a dry season," he said, "DDC's irresponsibility should be stopped immediately." According to the
association, more milk is produced and collected in October, November, March, March, February and March. The milk that is produced in excess of the market demand is stored by making butter and powder. Due to the balance, the payment to the farmers is delayed . After Baisakh, the milk dry season begins . In order to avoid shortage of milk, they meet the demand of the market through stored powdered milk. Even though the dry season is going on now, the farmers have not received the money .
DDC information officer Neelkanth Gautam said that there is arrears of about 90 crore rupees. "DDC has a stock worth around 150 billion rupees, due to which the payment to farmers has been delayed," he said. President of Nepal Dairy Industry Association Rajkumar Dahal claimed that the arrears to be paid to the farmers have decreased a lot.
'The arrears are continuously decreasing . The money till June will be paid till Dasain," he said, "25% of the stock has been consumed, 50% of the stock will be consumed by Dasain, now every dairy has put in the rest of the money.
