Kathmandu, July 3: Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Environment, Gita Chaudhary, has said that sugarcane farmers would receive all outstanding dues by mid-July.
Talking to RSS on Friday, the Minister assured that farmers’ dues would be cleared under any circumstances within the current fiscal year.
“This year, farmers receive a government subsidy of Rs 70 per quintal. Payment to farmers will be ensured within a year of the sugarcane-crushing season. Payment to the farmers is our priority, and we have done our best to ensure this.”
She also added that the subsidy has also been increased significantly. Meanwhile, sugar mills have already paid 93 percent of Rs 620 per quintal to farmers, while Rs 70 per quintal government subsidy meant for them has been allocated to the concerned bodies.
Such amounts will be deposited in the farmers’ accounts after meeting necessary procedures, according to the Minister.
She informed the RSS that the process of disbursing around Rs 1.51 billion in subsidy payments is in its final stage. The remaining payments have been delayed due to technical issues, including problems related to farmers’ bank accounts and PAN numbers.
According to the Department of Agriculture, 13 sugar mills procured sugarcane from 68,000 farmers during the current fiscal year.
The government has facilitated total payments of Rs 13.76 billion for 22.1 million quintals of sugarcane at the government-set purchase price of Rs 620 per quintal.
The farmers await the payment of remaining Rs 1.52 billion as subsidy from the government.#nepal #rss
