Kailali, Sept 7: The area for cultivating sugarcane, an important cash crop, has not expanded in Kailali district.
Sugarcane farming is not expanded in lack of chemical fertilizer, seeds and other necessary materials in grant to farmers. According to Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Kailali, the attraction of farmers towards sugarcane crops is decreasing also for lack of market to the products.
Farmers complained that the province government had not provided any grants to farmers involved in the cash crop so far. The tillers therefore have gradually switched to other crops.
The Agriculture Knowledge Centre added that the sugarcane was cultivated in 700 hectares of land in the district 25 years ago, but has now reduced to 225 hectares. Information Officer at the Centre, Shyam Joshi, said sugarcane farming was done on 224 hectares of land in fiscal year 2078/79 in the district where 8,307 metric tons of sugarcane was produced. Similarly, 9,450 metric tons of sugarcane was produced in 224 hectares of land in 2079/80.
The farmers’ attraction towards sugarcane may increase if agriculture tools and seeds were provided and new grant schemes launched for the farmers, he shared.
A sugarcane farmer Ganesh Shahi of Ghodaghodi municipality-4 pointed out the need for providing grant amount, imparting knowledge, skills and method for improved sugarcane farming along with necessary tools and improved seeds.
With the operation of Basuling Sugar Mill at Chuha in 2054 BS, the number of farmers involving in sugarcane cultivation had increased in the district. But, the farmers in the district started shifting to other cultivation after the shutdown of the mill.
