Submit your Article

The new sugarcane crop has sprouted in the fields, but farmers are still waiting for the subsidy payment for the previous harvest. According to Shyambabu Ray, coordinator of the Central Sugarcane Struggle Committee, the government has yet to address the demands of sugarcane farmers who staged a protest in Kathmandu a month ago. The aggrieved farmers complain that even the government led by Sushila Karki has shown little seriousness in responding to their concerns.

Naresh Singh Kushwaha, a farmer leader from Mahottari, said that the delay in receiving the subsidy has spoiled the Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath festivals for many farmers. Before Dashain, the protesting farmers had met with the newly appointed Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Madan Pariyar, urging him to release the pending subsidy for last year’s sugarcane. Although Minister Pariyar had assured them that the payment would be made soon, Ray told ApEx that the government has not released the funds even after the major festivals have passed.

“Last year’s sugarcane subsidy remains unpaid. Even though the new government has promised to release it, there’s no sign of when that will actually happen,” Ray said.

According to the committee, sugarcane farmers are still owed Rs 755m in subsidies for the fiscal year 2024/25. Last year, a total of 21.572m quintals of sugarcane were sold to 13 sugar mills across the country. The government had announced a subsidy of Rs 70 per quintal for sugarcane cultivation, meaning farmers should have received Rs 1.515bn in total.

However, the then KP Sharma Oli government reduced the subsidy by half, citing a budget deficit, and decided to provide only Rs 35 per quintal. In response, farmers launched a Kathmandu-centric protest. Following the agitation, the Ministry of Finance released Rs 754m—covering the reduced amount—but farmers continue to demand the full Rs 70 per quintal promised earlier.

Mahashankar Thing, a central member of the Sugarcane Producers Federation, said the government has not shown any seriousness toward their demands. He noted that the government has been allocating funds for sugarcane subsidies under the national budget since 2008.

“We are not asking for handouts,” Thing said. “We are only demanding the rightful value of our labor, in exchange for the VAT that the government has already exempted on agricultural products.”

The Westerly wind has its partial influence over Nepal at present, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division.

The Division stated that the weather will be generally cloudy in the hilly areas of the country including Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpashchim Provinces while it will be partly cloudy in the remaining areas this afternoon.

Similarly, there are chances of light to moderate rainfall and snowfall at a few places in the hilly region of Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces, and at one or two places in the hilly region of the rest of the provinces. There is a possibility of light rainfall at one or two places of the Tarai region of Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces.

The Division stated in a press release today that the weather will be generally cloudy in the hilly areas of the country including Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini Provinces, while the weather in the rest of the areas will be partly cloudy.

There is a possibility of moderate rainfall and snowfall in some places of the hilly and mountainous areas of Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces and in one or two other hilly areas, the Division said.

Three tourists died while four others sustained injuries and eight went missing after being hit by an avalanche in the Rolwaling area.

A team of 15 people had gone to climb the 5,630-meter Yalung Ri mountain in the Rolwaling area of ​​Gaurishankar Rural Municipality-9 in Dolakha on October 28.

They were hit by an avalanche at around 8 am on Monday, said DSP Gyan Kumar Mahato of the District Police Office. Dolakha.

After climbing Yalung Ri, they were preparing to climb Dolma Khang Himal in the Rolwaling area situated at an altitude of 6,000 meters, it has been learnt.

Two persons, who were preparing to climb Dolma Khang, had stayed at Na Village, according to locals.

The locals knew about the disappearance of the tourists only around 10 am. 

Friends of the missing climbers had said that although a helicopter was called, it did not arrive on time.

The local administration has granted permission to the Heli Everest to fly in the restricted area to rescue them.

DSP Mahato also informed that efforts are being made by the teams from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police to rescue them.

Five sections of different highways have been completely blocked due to landslides across the country. 

Spokesperson at the Nepal Police, Deputy Inspector General Binod Ghimire, said vehicular movement along five sections of different highways has come to a standstill and two highways are in one-way operation. 

Koshi Highway, Mechi Highway, highway connecting Nepal-China, Pasang Lhamu Highway and Jomsom-Korala section have been completely obstructed.