KATHMANDU, Nepali Congress leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala on Tuesday urged the government to immediately respond to the demands of protesting sugarcane farmers.In a social media post, Koirala criticized authorities for ignoring farmers’ struggles while limiting their commitment to agriculture to speeches and policy documents.“Is it enough to just write in books and deliver speeches that agriculture is a priority?” he asked. “It is deeply tragic that farmers are forced to come to the streets with sugarcane stalks. Their demands must be fulfilled without delay.”

Highlighting broader challenges in the sector, Koirala said farmers face chronic fertilizer shortages during critical seasons, long queues for supplies, and even the need to dump milk in the streets due to mismanagement.

He also cited the recurring problems of delayed sugarcane payments and subsidy cuts, warning that such practices obstruct Nepal’s path to self-sufficiency in food production.