NAWALPARASI, March 7: Sugarcane farmers of Nawalparasi are still waiting for their payments worth Rs 190 million from two sugar mills in the region. The government and sugar industrialists had signed an agreement to pay all the remaining payment to sugarcane farmers within January 21.
Lumbini Sugar factory of Sunwal, has not paid Rs 100 million to the farmers. According to Umesh Chandra Yadav, chairperson of the Sugarcane Producers Farmer Committee Nawalparasi, Lumbini Sugar factory had crushed more than 200,000 quintals of sugarcane last year but till today they have not even paid a single rupee to the farmers.
“The industry has not only halted the payment from last year, this year, they have stopped crushing. The main gate of the mill is locked and operators and employees of the factory are out of contact,” said Yadav.
Farmers face financial stress
Last November, the factory had paid compensation to few farmers but they were paid Rs 150 less than the price determined by the government. According to the farmers, the owner of the factory had offered to pay only Rs 385 per quintal.
As the farmers have not received payments from last year, they are finding it difficult to run their households. According to Gyan Chandra Yadav, a farmer of Rajwaha-2, the sugar mill owners have already made a profit but the sugarcane farmers are still waiting for the payment.
Indira Sugar Mill of Pratappur has not paid more than Rs 90 million to the sugarcane farmers. Last year, Indira Sugar Mill had crushed sugarcane worth Rs 140 million. According to the farmers, the owner of Indira Sugar Mill has locked the mill and is out of contact. Rakesh Agrawal, the operator of the mill had earlier asked for a deadline of three months with the Chief District Officer to provide all the payment to the farmers. But after that, Agrawal is out of contact and still owes the payment to the sugarcane farmers.
According to Bijaya Kushhawal, a local farmer of Pratappur-7, Indira Sugar Mill still needs to pay more than Rs 100,000 for the 300 quintals of sugarcane; he sold to the mill last year.
