भारतले रोक्यो चिनी निर्यात

भारत सरकारले चिनी निर्यातमा रोक लगाएको छ । यसअघि गहुँ निर्यातमा रोक लगाएको भारत सरकारले जुन १ अर्थात बुधबारदेखि चिनी निर्यातमा समेत रोक लगाएको हो ।

भारत सरकारले चिनी निर्यातमा रोक लगाए पनि नेपालमा अभाव नहुने व्यवसायीहरुले बताएका छन् ।

चिनी उत्पादन संघले नेपालका उद्योगी तथा व्यवसायीसँग पर्याप्त मात्रामा चिनीको मौज्दात रहेको भन्दै तत्काल अभाव नहुने जनाएको हो ।

संघका अध्यक्ष शशीकान्त अग्रवाल नेपालका उद्योगसँग हाल पर्याप्त मात्रामा चिनीको मौज्दात रहेको भन्दै अभाव नहुने बताउँछन् ।

उनका अनुुसार नेपालमा वार्षिक २ लाख ७५ हजार मेट्रिक टन चिनीको माग रहेकोमा आधा नेपालकै उत्पादनले पुग्दै आएको छ । नेपालमा १० वटा चिनी उद्योगले चिनी उत्पादन गर्दै आएका छन् ।

स्वदेशी उद्योगले मात्रै वार्षिक १ लाख ३० हजार मेट्रिकटन चिनी उत्पादन गर्ने भन्दै भारतले निर्यातामा रोक लगाउँदा नेपालमा खासै असर नपर्ने उनको भनाई छ ।

संघको तथ्यांक अनुसार चालु आर्थिक वर्षमा मात्रै नेपालका चिनी उद्योगले ३ लाख २१ हजार मेट्रिक टन चिनी उत्पादन गरेका छन् । स्वदेशी चिनी उत्पादन सँगै चालु आर्थिक वर्षको दश महिनामा नेपालले विभिन्न देशबाट ४ अर्ब ८३ करोड रुपैयाँ बढीको चिनी आयात गरेको छ ।

उत्पादनसँगै आयातीत चिनीको परिमाणमा समेत बृद्धि हुँदा अभाव नहुने व्यवसायीहरुको भनाई छ । नेपालले चालु आर्थिक वर्षको दश महिनाको अवधिमा भारतबाट मात्रै साढे २५ करोड ६५ लाख ३६ हजार रुपैयाँ बराबरको ७६ लाख ९ हजार किलो चिनीको आयात गरेको हो ।

सरकारी कम्पनीसँग छैन चिनी

सरकारी लगानीमा सञ्चालित खाद्य व्यवस्था तथा व्यापार कम्पनी लिमिटेड र साल्ट ट्रेडिङ कर्पाेरेशनले चिनीको मौज्दात नरहेको जनाएको छ । साल्ट ट्रेडिङ कर्पाेरेशनले बिक्री वितरण गर्दै आएको चिनी लामो समयदेखि बिक्री बन्द भएको जनाएकोे छ ।

‘सरकारले ५० प्रतिशत भन्सार छुटमा चिनी आयातको अनुमति नदिएपछि चिनीको बिक्री वितरण गरेका छैनौँ, स्टक हुँदासम्म वितरण गरिएको थियो, अहिले स्टक सकिएपछि लामो समयदेखि चिनी विक्री नै बन्द छ’, कर्पाेरेशनका एक कर्मचारीले भने ।

चाडपर्वका लागि चिनीको आयात गर्दै आएको खाद्य कम्पनीले समेत चिनीको बिक्री वितरण बन्द गरेको छ ।

उद्योग, वाणिज्य तथा आपूर्ति मन्त्रालयले भारत सरकारले चिनी निर्यातमा रोक लगाउँदा त्यसको असर नेपाली बजारमा देखिने जनाएको छ । मन्त्रालयका प्रवक्ता डा नारायण रेग्मी हाल पर्याप्त असर नदेखिएपनि निर्यातमा लामो समय रोक लगाउँदा असर देखिन सक्ने बताउँछन् ।

‘अहिले नेपाली चिनी उद्योगसँग पर्याप्त मौज्दात छ, तत्काल अभाव वा असर देखिदैन, तर भारतले लामो समयसम्म निर्यातमा रोक लगायो भने त्यसको केही असर पर्न सक्ने हाम्रो अनुमान छ’, उनले भने ।

भारतीय सञ्चार माध्यमले मोदी सरकारले चिनी निर्यातमा पूर्ण रोक नलगाए पनि निर्यात सीमा एक करोड टन राखेको जनाएका छन् । चिनी निर्यातमा भारत विश्वको दोस्रो ठूलो देश हो । विश्वमा ब्राजिलले सबैभन्दा धेरै चिनी निर्यात गर्छ ।

भारतबाट सबैभन्दा धेरै चिनी इन्डोनेसिया, अफगानिस्तान, श्रीलंका, बंगलादेश, संयुक्त अरब इमिरेट्स, मलेसिया र अफ्रिकी देशले खरिद गर्दै आएका छन् ।

भारतमा उपभोक्ता मुद्रास्फिती बढेर ७.७९ प्रतिशत पुगेपछि सरकारले गहुँ र चिनी निर्यातमा अल्पकालीन रोक लगाएको हो । भारत सरकारले मुलुकभित्र बढ्दो खाद्य सुरक्षा र महँगीलाई ध्यानमा राख्दै निर्यातमा रोक लगाउने निर्णय गरेको हो ।

पछिल्लो समय विभिन्न देशमा रुस र युक्रेनबीचको युद्धका कारण विभिन्न वस्तुको मूल्य बढेको छ । हालसालै सार्वजनिक तथ्यांकका अनुसार भारतमा इन्धन र खाद्यान्नको उच्च मूल्यका कारण अप्रिलमा उपभोक्ता मुद्रास्फीति ८ वर्षकै उच्चमा पुगेको देखाएको छ ।

Police issues arrest warrant against operators of four sugar mills

 The Police today issued arrest warrants against owners of four defaulting sugar mills.

The respective district police offices of Rautahat and Nawalparasi have issued arrest warrants against the owners of Indira Sugar Mill, Annapurna Sugar Mill, Shree Ram Sugar Mill and Lumbini Sugar Mill, confirmed Home Ministry. “The ministry – after a marathon meeting with stakeholders yesterday – decided to take action against the ‘defaulting’ mills owners.”

A meeting of four ministers including Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Lekh Raj Bhatta, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Ghanashyam Bhusal and Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Hridyesh Tripathi – chaired by Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa – has directed District Administration Offices to take lawful action against mill owners, who have not cleared the dues to the farmers. The government has been blamed for being siding with the mill owners, as the farmers have not been paid since last six years.

Some 300 farmers – from Rautahat, Nawalparasi and many other districts – have been protesting in the capital since Sunday to pressurise the government to get their outstanding payments. They have been demanding that their dues – worth more than Rs 480 million since past six years – be paid at the earliest. 

According to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Annapurna Sugar Mill of Sarlahi has Rs 170 million outstanding dues, Indira Sugar Mill in Nawalparasi Rs 40.70 million, Lumbini Sugar Mill Rs 80.41 million, and Shree Ram Sugar Mill Rs 350 million. The sugar mill owners though accepted that they have around Rs 550 million in outstanding dues, the farmers are claiming that they have Rs 900 million dues yet to be cleared.

The police was forced to take action after farmers filed complaints in the district police offices of Rautahat and Nawalparasi. “District Police Office in Rautahat has issued arrest warrant against Hitesh Golchha, Bishal Agrawal and Anuj Agrawal of Shree Ram Sugar Mill,” the ministry informed, adding that District Police Office in Nawalparasi has issued arrest warrant against Rakesh Agrawal, owner of Annapurna Sugar Mills in Sarlahi and Indira Sugar Mills in Nawalparasi, and Sushila Goyal, proprietor of Lumbini Sugar Mill.

According to the Criminal Code-2017, anyone found guilty of fraud can be jailed up to seven years. Last January too, the Home Ministry had ordered the arrest of sugar mill owners – after the farmers staged protest in the capital – who had not cleared a large amount of dues owed to sugarcane farmers. Though, no one was arrested. 

The government signed an agreement with farmers last year to clear the dues but failed to implement the agreement signed.

Thus, the protesting sugarcane farmers are not impressed with the government decision this time. They said they will continue their peaceful protest till they get paid.

Generally, sugar mill owners buy sugarcane on credit from the farmers and are supposed to pay them after selling the sugar. But, the mill owners have been failing to pay them since long 

The farmers have also suggested to make the payment from the Prime Minister Relief Fund or any other fund and can recoup it from sugar mill owners with interest afterwards.

Lockdown to continue, essential industries to open from Friday

The government has extended the lockdown period – as recommended by the High-Level Coordination Committee for the Prevention and Control of Covid-19 yesterday – keeping the suspension on international flights and sealing border till May end, but some essential industries will be allowed to start their operation from Friday.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers today decided to extend the term of nationwide coronavirus-lockdown till May 18, confirmed finance minister, who is also information and communication technology minster, Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada. “But some 42 industries of essential nature will be allowed to operate from Friday with adequate health precautions,” he said, adding that they have to maintain social distance, employees must use mask and sanitiser. “These industries can make one-third of their employees work at a time.”
The industries related to food and food processing, water, biscuits, tea, sugar, LP Gas, ginger, bread, confectionery, paintings, press, electricity fittings to construction related industries will be allowed to operate from Friday, Khatiwada said, adding that the party palaces, malls that do not sell food and food products, gym, temples, mosque, church, and training programmes are however not allowed to operate.
A meeting of the High-Level Coordination Committee for the Prevention and Control of Covid-19 yesterday – in the presence of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli – had reviewed measures taken to prevent the spread of the pandemic and the impact of the ongoing lockdown. It has concluded that the lockdown has been effective in controlling coronavirus from spreading. But the economy has been bleeding as the industries have been closed since March 24. When the government first announced the lockdown, Nepal had reported just two Covid-19 cases. But this week alone, 23 new cases have been reported, with the national tally reaching 99, though there have been no deaths so far.
With the sixth extension of lockdown from day after, Nepal will be under lockdown for almost two months until a different modality of rules and restrictions is decided upon. The country has lost around Rs 300 billion due to a lockdown in the last a-month-and-half which has halted economic activities in the country.
The committee has decided to recommend the government to further extend the lockdown, but allow some economic activities to start as the government coffer is drying due to loss of revenue, reduction of remittance inflow and plummeting export, apart from tourism that seems to take minimum half year to revive.
The length of the lockdown imposed on March 24, which saw the most recent extension on April 27, is maturing tomorrow, the committee had suggested to categorise areas as green, orange and red, but the Prime Minister was not convinced saying that it is not the right time to relax lockdown on the basis of categorisation, as Covid- 19 cases continued to rise in India and in certain districts of Nepal bordering India, and also in Nepal.
Critics say the government failed to utilise the lockdown over the last six weeks to step up measures to trace and treat and find ways to gradually lift lockdown.
The cabinet meeting also decided to tighten entry points to Kathmandu and keep records of those who need to travel for emergency situations like for health checkups, Khatiwada added.

Industry minister vows to solve sugarcane farmers’ problem

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Lekhraj Bhatta vowed to solve problems of sugar mills and sugarcane farmers by the third week of January.
Taking time in the meeting of the National Assembly today, he informed that the sugar mills have been directed to clear their dues. “The government has formed a task force that will submit its report to the government within 15 days,” he said, adding that the discussions have also been held between the representatives of sugar mills and sugarcane farmers. “The mills have been instructed to immediately pay the dues they owe to the farmers.”
He also said that the government is serious regarding the 11-point demands of the sugarcane farmers, whereas it is also facilitating in the purchase and sale of sugar that the mill owners have in their store.
Bhatta also informed the National Assembly that customs levied on import of sugar has been increased by 40 per cent and importation of this commodity has been prohibited to help mill owners sell their stock of sugar.
The lawmakers, on the occasion, also suggested him to seek a long-term solution as the problem between the farmers and mill owners have been recurring every year. Earlier this week, the sugarcane farmers from various parts of Tarai districts assembled and started a stage sit-in at the Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu to pressurise the government.
The communist government with a comfortable majority is steering the nation, and the farmers are staging the protest against the government that claims to be championing for the cause farmers and labourers.
Agitating farmers claim that Annapurna Sugar Mills needs to pay a total of Rs 500 million, while Mahalaxmi Sugar Mills owes them Rs 210 million. The government has fixed minimum support price for a quintal of sugarcane at Rs 536.56. Of the total amount, sugar mills should pay Rs 471.28 per quintal, while Rs 65.28 is to be paid by the government as subsidy.
Earlier yesterday, during a meeting with sugarcane farmers held at the Industry Ministry, deputy prime minister Ishwar Pokharel, industry minister Lekhraj Bhatta and agriculture minister Ghanshyam Bhusal vowed to clear all the outstanding payment of the sugarcane farmers by January 21. But the sugarcane farmers have demanded to clear 80 per cent outstanding payment by January 10 and the remaining 20 per cent payment by January third week.
According to sugarcane farmers, the mills are yet to clear outstanding payments for the past five years amounting to Rs 1.33 billion. The farmers have yet to recover Rs 420 million from Shree Ram Sugar Mills, Rs 400 million from Annapurna Sugar Mills, Rs 200 million from Mahalaxmi Sugar Mills, Rs 110 million from Bagmati Sugar Mills and Rs 100 million each from Indira Sugar Mills and Lumbini Sugar Mills, the farmers claimed.

Agitating sugarcane farmers stage protest in Kathmandu

Sugarcane farmers from across the country today staged protest at Maitigar in Kathmandu against the delayed payment of outstanding dues from sugar mills.
Organising a protest, they said that they were compelled to start the protests as sugar mills were reluctant to issue almost Rs 1.5 billion pending dues to farmers. Farmers had been staging protests in their respective districts against the delayed payment for their produce has shifted their protest movement to the Capital as the government was reluctant to address their concerns. As their concerns remain unaddressed, farmers not only staged a protest in Maitighar today but also organised a sit-in programme in front of Singha Durbar to pressurise the government.
“The crushing of new sugarcane is soon to start,” president of Nepal Sugarcane Producers Federation Kapil Muni Mainali said, adding that sugar mills have, however, not cleared the payment for last year’s cane to farmers. “We were forced to launch protests in Kathmandu as the government is doing nothing to ensure that farmers get their payments on time.”
Among the various sugar mills, Annapurna Sugar Mill has yet to issue payment worth Rs 50 million, whereas Sri Ram Sugar Mill has not paid almost Rs 420 million since the last three years, they claimed, adding that the Sarlahi-based Maha Laxmi Sugar Mill too has been delaying payments worth Rs 210 million. “Likewise, three Nawalparasi-based sugar factories – Indira Sugar Mill, Bagmati Sugar Mill and Lumbini Sugar Mill – are yet to clear Rs 210 million to cane farmers.”
Mainali also said that Annapurna Sugar Mill, Shree Ram Sugar Mill, Mahalaxmi Sugar Mill and three other sugar mills in Nawalparasi have shut down their operations saying that they will not be able to operate the factories, if they make payment to the farmers.
The sugar mill owners have not paid them since 2013, though they have entered into an agreement, he said, adding that the farmers took to the street demanding the immediate payment to them despite cold and chilly weather. “Factory owners had promised farmers that they will clear their dues in installments but farmers said they cannot trust the mill owners.”
The government has fixed the purchase price of sugarcane at Rs 563.56 per quintal but the sugar mill owners have paid Rs 500 to the farmers, they claim, adding that the mill owners have not been releasing payments to farmers though they have been selling sugar and the demand for Nepali sugar is also increasing in the market.
However, president of Sugar Producers Association Sashi Kant Agrawal said that the domestic sugar mills have not been able to sell their product following huge imports from India and Pakistan two years ago. “The sugar import from India has not stopped yet,” he said, adding that cheaper sugar is entering the country – both legally and illegally – as the Indian government has provided a subsidy of Rs 18 per kg in the export. “Unless the import stops, the sugar producers will not be able to pay farmers due to price difference on imported sugar and domestic product.”
The factories have been running in losses – and are not able to make payment – thus the government needs to prepare a payment schedule for farmers and make payments accordingly to resolve the sugarcane farmer issue, added the president of the association – which claims that there are around 15,000 farmers engaged in commercial sugarcane farming in Sarlahi alone including 100,000 farmers in 15 districts – Agrawal.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has sent a letter to the Home Ministry today to take action against sugar producers, who have failed to pay farmers.

Government lifts quantitative restriction on sugar import

The government has lifted quantitative restriction on sugar import as it has decided not to extend the restriction on sugar import after the beginning of the new fiscal year 2019-20.
The government had extended quantitative restriction on sugar import – under pressure from sugar mill operators – by three months till the end of fiscal year 2018-19, claiming to limit excessive supply of cheaper foreign sugar in the domestic market. The mill owners had convinced the government – especially the Prime Minister KP Oli – that the cheap import of foreign sugar had lowered the demand of comparatively costly Nepali sugar. Convinced by the mill owners, Prime Minister Oli himself took action in fixing a quota on sugar import in September. The restriction initially in place only till mid-April has been extended till the end of the current fiscal year. After quantitative restriction, the price of the sugar did not go down rather increased hurting the consumers. The lifting of the restriction on sugar import will bring the price down as the imported sugar – especially from Pakistan and India – is cheaper compared to domestic sugar.
After lifting the restriction, the traders can now import any quantity of sugar that was barred to be imported not more than 100,000 tonnes during the last fiscal year.
However, the sugar mill operators have criticised the government for not extending the quantitative restriction. Urging the government to extend such restriction on sugar import for at least three months so that they can clear the stock of Nepali sugar, they said they still have almost 100,000 tonnes of sugar in stock, which will be enough to meet domestic demand for four months.
According to Nepal Sugar Producers Association, the crushing of sugarcane is going to begin within a few months. “The government must calculate the domestic demand before lifting the restriction,” the association said.
But the sugarcane farmers have been blaming the mill owners for not paying them the price of the sugarcane. The mill owners have promised the government that they will pay the farmers their dues, if they are allowed to clear their stock – restricting the foreign sugar import – but neither the farmers been able to get their dues nor the consumers get the cheaper sugar.
The imported sugar is cheaper as the Indian sugar is available at almost Rs 55 per kg in the Indian retail market and factory price is even cheaper. Currently, the domestic sugar costs at Rs 78 per kg.

Sugar import higher than market demand

Nepal imported more than three folds sugar last fiscal year compared to a year before exceeding the actual demand of the domestic market.
According to the 56th annual report of Office of the Auditor General (OAG), the country imported a total of 274,000 metric tonnes of sugar in the last fiscal year 2017-18, against import of 71,000 metric tonnes in the fiscal year 2016-17.
The import of sugar surged also due to falling price in the international market. The government had also banned the sugar import following pressure from the sugar mill owners finally to be tricked by them, according to the Prime Minister. Finance Ministry had also increased import duty from 15 per cent to 30 per cent on December 11, 2017. However, the decision was implemented only on April 17, 2018.
The government lost Rs 536 million revenue due to delay in implementation of the decision,” reads the report. While the sugar import increased significantly, sugar produced within the country remained stored in warehouses, according to the mill owners. Consequently, sugar mill operators are yet to clear their dues to the sugarcane farmers, while the market was flooded by cheap imported sugar. But the mill owners raised the price of the sugar – immediately after the import ban – hitting the consumer hard.

PM confesses: Sugar mills tricked me into restricting imports

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today confessed that the sugar mill owners tricked him into restricting imports.
Addressing the 16th annual general meeting (AGM), he also showed his dissatisfaction about how local middlemen escalated sugar prices after the government announced a ban on sugar import to promote local industries and farmers.
The government banned sugar imports – in September 2018 – to promote domestic product after import started to threaten the existence of Nepali sugar industries, according to them. But they started increasing the price once the government banned the imports.   
Until the government banned the sugar, Nepal imported sugar from Pakistan, Brazil and India. The price of sugar imported from Pakistan was Rs 62 per kg, while the sugar imported from Brazil was Rs 60. "As the government banned the import, the local industries and middlemen hiked the sugar price and fostered black marketing,” Oli said, adding that a kg of sugar was sold for as much as Rs 105.
The ban coincided the biggest festival Dashain-Tihar when sugar is on high demand. The operators created created artificial shortage in the market though the Ministry for Industry, Commerce and Supplies claimed of sufficient supply. The ministry had claimed that some 180,000 metric tonnes of sugar is being produced in the country, while the demand is 230,000 metric tonnes.
Venting his ire against sugar mill owners for 'tricking' him, Oli said that the domestic sugar mill owners betrayed him by telling him that their stocks of sugar were so high they would not be able to clear them even in the next year. "They told me that high imports including from Pakistan had created a problem as they were not able to sell at Rs 53 or Rs 54 per kilo, and they requested me to impose the import restriction."
Though the sugar mills committed not to raise the price as a condition for the import restriction, the price went through the roof soon after, he said, "By raising the sugar price exorbitantly and creating an artificial shortage, it was sold at Rs 85 per kilo and even at up to Rs 105. I want to tell you all, stop this type of cheating."
Prime Minister Oli's accusation comes nearly seven months after the decision to import restrictions taken at the behest of sugar mill owners.
After a huge public outrage over the shortage and the artificial price hike on the eve of the festive, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) instruct the government to intervene in the market and take action against those involved in the artificial price hike.
The PAC, upon the recommendation of its sub-committee, also instructed the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to investigate into the shortage and price hike but to no conclusion, as the decision was backed by the Prime Minister himself.
Though the country’s executive head warned business community not to take undue advantage of the ‘private sector-friendly nature’ of the government, he had himself directed the ministries to ban the sugar import, after both the industry and finance ministries denied the sugar mill owners request to ban sugar import. The sugar mill owners met Oli in at his official residence in Baluwater to convince him for import ban.

Producers demand sugar price hike, stops crushing cane

Manufacturers have proposed the government to hike sugar price by atleast Rs 10 per kg, after the government’s move to raise the floor price of sugarcane. They have even stopped crushing the crop opposing the government move. The government has set the floor price of sugarcane at Rs 536.56 per quintal, which has – according to the mill owners – made sugar expensive. They have thus demanded minimum price of sugar to be fixed at Rs 90 per kg.
According to the Cabinet decision last week, sugar factories have to pay Rs 471.28 to farmers for a quintal of cane while the government will pay the farmers Rs 65.28 per quintal as subsidy. However, the manufacturers have rejected to purchase the cane at the government price and asked upward revision of the minimum price.
It has been a month since the sugarcane was ready to be harvested but the standoff have left farmers worrying as their crop have started to dry waiting for the factories to buy and process cane.
"If the government increases the minimum price to Rs 90 per kg from the current price of Rs 70 per kg, we will immediately purchase the cane from farmers and start producing sugar,” according to the sugar producers. "We have stock of 3,000 tonnes of sugar at our warehouse," they said, adding that they have to sell it before they can pay farmers. "Last year, we took a bank loan to pay the farmers and suffered a loss of Rs 200 million after we couldn’t sell the sugar."
They also claimed that the market was flooded with cheap sugar from Pakistan last year and they could not sell their sugar. "Out of 178,000 tonnes of sugar produced in Nepal last year by the 11 sugar mills operating in the country, some 70,000 tonnes still remain to be sold."
The government started fixing the floor price of sugarcane from last year to end the constant confrontation between sugarcane farmers and sugar producers. The government had announced in its budget for the current fiscal year that it would fix the reference prices of key agricultural products to encourage farmers.

Remove import restriction on sugar, if price cannot be controlled: PAC

Quantitative restriction on sugar imports has been hurting both the consumers and sugarcane farmers. Thus, the lawmakers asked the government to either remove import restriction on sugar or control the price. They also concluded that the strong nexus between importers and sugar mills but weak government monitoring is the key reason for the rampant price hike of sugar.
Speaking at a sub-committee under the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Federal Parliament today, Lawmaker Lekh Raj Bhatta said that they have found that the sister concerns of the sugar mills have been importing sugar and are now raising the price of sugar rampantly to take benefit of the restriction on sugar import. The government had imposed quantitative restriction on sugar import after the repeated request of the sugar mills.
The PAC has formed a sub-committee to study pricing, market situation and smooth and quality supply of sugar.
The government has fixed an import quota of 100,000 metric tonnes of sugar for this fiscal year on the request of sugar mill owners, as they had been complaining that the stock of sugar produced by local sugar manufacturers was not finding a market due to cheaper imports. The government currently imposes 30 per cent customs duty and 13 per cent value added tax (VAT) on sugar import. Despite higher taxes the government was finally compelled to impose quantitative restriction on sugar import citing that the sugar manufactured by Nepali sugar mills could not compete with imported sugar.
However, the lawmakers also blamed the government that it has imposed import restriction without enough groundwork like sugar in stock, quantity imported and pricing.
The immature decision of the government has been adversely affecting consumers and sugarcane farmers, as consumers are compelled to pay high prices and cane growers have not been paid their dues.
Though, lawmaker Prem Aale – taking part in the discussion – claimed that sugar mill owners had raised the price of sugar against their commitment to keep the retail price of sugar at Rs 63 per kg, some other lawmakers asked whether there was any agreement on maximum price of sugar with sugar mills before introducing the quantitative restriction.
"The government authorities are also keeping silent," he said, asking the commerce secretary Chandra Kumar Ghimire and industry secretary Yam Kumari Khatiwada to stop the rampant price hike. "If the government cannot control price," he said, asking the secretaries to withdraw import restriction on sugar.
According to Ghimire, the ministry had recommended for quantitative restriction based on the assumption that there is sufficient stock of sugar as the country has stock of 461,000 tonnes of sugar but the monthly demand is around 18,000 to 20,000 tonnes only. "Sugar mills in the country produce 175,000 tonnes in a year and 286,000 tonnes have been imported, so there will be a stock of around 51,600 tonnes of sugar by the end of the fiscal year," he replied.
Likewise, lawmakers at the PAC also suspected the 'financial nexus' between traders, mill owners and government officials. "While fulfilling the demands of sugar mill owners, why did the government not ask them to make a strictly maintain the retail price at a certain level," lawmaker Chanda Choudhary asked.
Following the pressure from the consumers and lawmakers, a cabinet meeting yesterday also formed a committee at the government level, whereas the PAC has already formed a sub-committee that is preparing a report on pricing of sugar, demand and quality supply by holding discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, including ministers, government officials, sugar mill owners, importers, consumer rights activists and retailers, among others, and based on market inspection.
Earlier on Thursday, the PAC meeting had also directed the government to cap the price of sugar at Rs 63 per kg. However, industry minister Matrika Yadav has expressed reservation over the decision of the committee, terming the parliamentary panel’s act of fixing price as ‘impractical’.
The report will be submitted to the chair of the PAC on Thursday, according to lawmakers of the sub-committee. 

Government orders industrialists to pay sugarcane farmers in 5 days

The government ordered the industrialists to pay the dues of the sugarcane farmers within five days. The government today issued the directive to clear the dues of the sugarcane farmers, after repeated complaints of farmers not being paid their dues from earlier years.
A meeting of the ministers for Finance, Agriculture and Livestock Development, Industry and Supplies, Forests and Environment, and General Administration – along with the secretaries – took the decision to give the industrialists an ultimatum, agriculture minister Chakrapani Khanal informed. The government has also warned the industrialists of punishment, if they failed to clear their dues to the farmers within 5 days, he said, adding that different organisations of sugarcane farmers – yesterday – had warned to take to the streets after their dues were not cleared for long.
According to the recommendation of the Agriculture Ministry, the government had fixed Rs 536.56 for a quintal of sugarcane to the farmers including Rs 65.28 in grant from the government. However, the farmers have not yet received the money even after six months of the decision.
The farmers' claimed that the sugar mills have to pay Rs 2 billion and the government has to pay Rs 1.28 billion in grant to the farmers.
Out of 31 registered sugar mills, some 13 are in operation, which crush sugarcane to produce sugar. The government – on September 17 – had fixed sugar import quota for the current fiscal year at 100,000 tonnes to save domestic industries and help clear them the stock.
While the sugarcane farmers are yet to get their payment, sugar mills have been raising sugar price after the government imposed import restriction. The sugar price has already been raised to Rs 75 from Rs 60 per kg. 

Government directs to import sugar for festive season

The Ministry of Commerce and Supplies has directed Nepal Food Corporation, National Trading and Salt Trading to import sugar to guarantee smooth supply during the festive season that starts next month.

Earlier, a cabinet meeting on May 30 had already decided to import 30,000 metric tonnes of sugar on one per cent customs duty by October 17 to maintain smooth supply during Dashain and Tihar, the greatest festivals in the country.
Every year during the festival season, the market witnesses a shortage of sugar due to government and its agencies apathy towards the people.

The ministry has asked the Nepal Food Corporation and National Trading to import 5,000 metric tones each and Salt Trading to import 15,000 metric tonnes of sugar, said, spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies  Deepak Subedi. “The Finance Ministry has also been asked to release budget and help set up fair-price shops during the festivals like earlier years to ensure smooth supply during Dashain and Tihar,” he said, adding that a three-member committee led by Director General of the Department of Commerce and Supplies Management has also been formed to effectively monitor sales of sugar.

Sugarcane price fixed at Rs 500 a quintal

Sugar producers and sugarcane farmers today fixed the price of sugarcane at Rs 500 per quintal for this season.

Last year, farmers had sold sugarcane at Rs 411.50 per quintal.

After a long dispute between them, the sugar producers’ association and farmers’ association have agreed to fix the price for this season.

The sugarcane rate for this season was revised upwards on the basis of the rate offered by a sugar mill based in Bihar state of India. The Indian mill had offered Rs 215 Indian Currency (IC) per quintal last year and is likely to increase Rs 50 IC per quintal this year too.

Earlier, farmers had been demanding Rs 625 per quintal.

Nepal seeks Indian help to boost sugar production

A team led by government officials extensively toured Maharashtra to study sugar production.
They visited government officials in Mumbai and Pune apart from the Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Pune. The Vasantdada Sugar Institute is dedicated to research in sugarcane.
"The visiting Nepali team asked for technical help for its sugar industry," said director general of Vasantdada Sugar Institute Shivajirao Deshmukh.
The delegation also visited institutes related to the co-operative sector — like Pune-based Vaikunthbhai Mehta co-operative training institute — as most of Maharashtra's sugar industry is in the co-operative sector.
Later, the team went to Kolhapur and Sangli districts to visit some of the co-operative sugar mills and avail information about their workings. They also visited the Warna complex, the dairy and sugar co-operative from Kolhapur.
Domestic sugar production is sufficient to meet about 35 per cent to 40 per cent of the market demand. For the rest of the country's sugar requirement, Nepal is dependent on India.
The per hectare yield of sugarcane is 47 tonnes, and sugar recovery is eight per cent in Nepal, whereas in Maharashtra, the average sugar recovery is 11 per cent.