MP Officer Urges Immediate Payment of Over 140 Million to Milk-Producing Farmers in Makwanpur
Member of Parliament Lima Officer Acharya of the National Independent Party has urged the government to establish a legal framework ensuring that farmers receive payment for their agricultural products within 15 days. She highlighted that over 140 million Nepalese rupees remain unpaid to milk-producing farmers in Makwanpur and expressed concern that youth across the country are forced to seek employment in Gulf countries due to delayed payments for their produce. Officer stated, ‘Not just grain but food self-sufficiency is essential, and without timely payments to farmers, prosperity in the country is impossible.’
On 7 Jestha in Kathmandu, MP Lima Officer Acharya appealed to the government during the zero hour session of the House of Representatives on Thursday to enact legal provisions guaranteeing immediate payment to farmers for their agricultural products. She demanded the establishment of a law mandating that farmers receive payment for their produce within 15 days. She said, ‘I urge the government to legally guarantee mandatory payment to farmers within 15 days.’
According to Officer, failure to pay for products such as milk, sugarcane, and rice compels young people to seek employment opportunities in Gulf countries. She added, ‘More than 140 million rupees in payments are pending to milk-producing farmers in Makwanpur alone. This is not just a Makwanpur issue, but a common situation for many farmers across the country producing sugarcane, milk, rice, and other products.’
She questioned, ‘When farmers have to wait months or even years to receive the value of their hard work, how do they manage to pay for cattle feed or their children’s school fees on time? Because of this, today’s energetic youth are forced to leave fertile lands barren and migrate to the Gulf deserts for employment. Emptying the farmers’ pockets makes national prosperity unattainable.’
Officer emphasized the need not only for grain production but also for food self-reliance in the country.