KATHMANDU: Sugarcane farmers in Bardiya and Kailali are set to receive their long-pending payments before the Dashain festival.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment is currently finalizing technical procedures to transfer the funds directly into the farmers’ bank accounts.
During a meeting of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held on Thursday, Ministry Secretary Dr. Rajendra Prasad Mishra stated that the ministry has prioritized the settlement of these dues.
He acknowledged that administrative and technical challenges caused delays in payments that were originally scheduled for July.
Regarding the payment process, Secretary Mishra said, ‘A ministerial-level decision has already been made to provide the outstanding payments to the sugarcane farmers of Bardiya and Kailali immediately. Since the payment guidelines have been received, we are working to complete the necessary processes within a day or two and expect to transfer the funds before Dashain.’
Farmers have been repeatedly calling for the release of their outstanding dues for an extended period. Although the ministry had previously decided to clear the payments, implementation delays had caused significant hardship for the farmers. The ministry has confirmed that it is continuously monitoring the situation to ensure the funds are released promptly.
