Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The government has begun the process of releasing outstanding payments to dairy and sugarcane farmers.
Ministry of Agricultural and Livestock Development has sent Rs 1.45 billion to eight districts to distribute cash subsidies to sugarcane farmers.
The government provides a subsidy of Rs 70 per quintal to sugarcane farmers. The subsidy distribution, however, had been pending for three years.
District Treasury Controller Offices of Kanchanpur, Nawalparasi West, Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Siraha and Sunsari have been authorized to distribute outstanding subsidy amounts to farmers.
Ministry of Agricultural and Livestock Development, Ramnath Adhikari, had earlier assured dairy and sugarcane farmers that they would get their outstanding payments before the Dashain festival.
The Dashain holiday begins on October 10.
Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) has also said that it would soon get Rs 600 million from the government to clear outstanding dues of dairy farmers.
The cabinet meeting held in the first week of September had approved a proposal to lend DDC Rs 600 million. The Public Debt Management Office has completed all the formalities for the disbursement of the loan amount, according to an official at the DDC.
DDC owed farmers a total of Rs 1.54 billion as of mid-July. It raised Rs 450 million by selling products in inventory and reduced outstanding dues.
