Mahottari: Although the government did not set the price of sugarcane as per the sugarcane farmers’ demand and expectations, the farmers in Mahottari district are satisfied with the new price because it is slightly higher than last fiscal year, 2024/25. The government fixed the new price of sugarcane and subsidy amount for the sugarcane farmers for the ongoing fiscal year 2025/26 last Monday, as per which, the price of sugarcane is determined at Rs 690 per quintal.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the sugarcane farmers had initially demanded Rs 750 per quintal due to rising farming costs and inflation in daily consumable goods. However, the government set the price at Rs 690 per quintal. Naresh Singh Kushwaha, Chairperson of Sugarcane Producers’ Farmers Association in Mahottari, noted that the combined price of sugarcane and subsidy has been increased by Rs 70 per quintal compared to the previous year. The government rate includes Rs 620 per quintal to be paid by the sugar mills and a Rs 70 subsidy from the government.
Sugarcane cultivation spans 9,600 bighas of land in the district this year, as reported by Chairperson Kushwaha. Farmers are eagerly awaiting the sugar mills to commence operations so that sugarcane can be harvested, explained Arun Giri of Bhangaha-4, a local farmer.
Giri highlighted the pressure farmers face to harvest the second-year crop of sugarcane and prepare for the next planting cycle. He expressed concerns over potential delays in cutting sugarcane plants, which could leave farmland barren for another six months.
Ram Binod Mahato of Bardibas-9 echoed these concerns, emphasizing the urgency of collecting sugarcane by mid-January 2026 to avoid waiting until the monsoon in June for planting another crop.
Farmers have suggested that the government should set sugarcane prices by mid-November each year and begin crushing the second-year sugarcane by the end of November. Bishwanath Singh of Bijalpura in Bardibas-12 expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of the price announcement but acknowledged the Rs 35 per-quintal increase in sugarcane prices as a positive development.
Despite the timing concerns, the increased price and subsidy have brought some relief to the farmers. The sugar mills in the district, including Everest Sugar, are preparing to start sugarcane crushing operations by the end of December, slightly later than the previous year.