SATV April 2, Kathmandu: Indushankar Sugar Industry in Harion, Sarlahi has paid for all the sugarcane it purchased from farmers this year.
The industry cleared the payment of farmers within three weeks of closure of crushing this year.
The industry, which closed crushing on March 13, had crushed 3.52 million quintals of sugarcane this year.
The industry has paid farmers Rs. 1.76 billion at a rate of Rs. 585 per quintal as per the price fixed by the government, said Thakur Prasad Nepal, administrative manager of the industry.
He said that even though the sugar produced by the industry after crushing sugarcane has not been sold, the farmers have been paid in full.
Nepal said that the sugar produced by the industry is being stored in stock as there is sufficient sugar in the market at present.
Similarly, Mahalaxmi Sugar Industry of Bagdaha and Annapurna Sugar Industry of Dhankaul, which had been delaying payments to sugarcane farmer previous years, have also paid farmers on time this year.
Mahalaxmi Sugar Industry, which closed on March 5 after crushing 1.38 million quintals of sugarcane, has claimed to have paid 85 per cent of sugarcane purchased from the farmers.
Administrative Manager of the Mahalaxmi Sugar Mills Shivshankar Mahato said that the remaining Rs. 50 million dues of the sugarcane farmers will be paid by end April 2025.
Devendra Kumar Yadav, Mayor of Godaita Municipality, said that the owner of the industry, Birendra Prasad Kanodia, came to the industry on Saturday and discussed with the leading sugarcane farmers and expressed his commitment to make the remaining payment immediately.
Mayor Yadav said that the farmers were relieved to receive timely payment this year as there was competition among sugar mills in the purchase of sugarcane due to the decrease in production.
Likewise, Annapurna Sugar Industry, which closed on March 8 after crushing 921,000 quintals of sugarcane, said that it is yet to pay about Rs. 8 million to the farmers.
Owner of the Annapurna Sugar Mills Shailendra Gupta said that they are ready to pay the remaining amount within this month if possible.
