Farmers in Kailali have not received fair prices for wheat this year, selling at approximately NPR 200 less per quintal compared to last year. The government has not set a support price for wheat this year, leading grain procurement centers to coordinate with mills to determine prices. According to agricultural technician Motisingh Bik from Tikapur, wheat production has been affected by rain and hailstorms, and farmers have also faced delays in receiving fertilizers and seeds. 25 Chaitra, Kailali.
Farmers in Kailali have been unable to get reasonable prices for their wheat harvest this year. While they sold wheat for NPR 4,000 per quintal last year, this year they are forced to sell for roughly NPR 200 less, at around NPR 3,800 per quintal. Moreover, recent rainfall and hailstorms have damaged the crop yield. Farmer Ruplal Chaudhary expressed his distress over not getting a fair price despite hard work. He stated, “We have to sell at lower prices compared to last year although we expected better prices. We face issues receiving fertilizers and seeds on time, and even after putting in great effort, we don’t get fair compensation for our produce.”
Manjit Rawal from Tikapur explained that the government’s failure to announce a support price on time has prevented farmers from receiving fair value. According to him, difficulties in obtaining fertilizers and seeds on schedule, coupled with inadequate selling prices during harvest period, have further burdened farmers. The recent hailstorm and rains have reduced wheat production. Currently, farmers do not get fair prices at collection centers, resulting in losses across the board. However, Pehalman Saud from Tikapur reported purchasing four quintals of wheat at NPR 4,200 per quintal. Having bought at a similar price last year, he feels this year’s price is reasonable. “I bought wheat at this rate last year as well. I came early hoping for a better price this year, but it remains the same as last year,” he said.
Bhim Bahadur Thakulla, from Bhim Grain Purchase Center in Tikapur, said they buy good quality wheat (which doesn’t need cleaning) at up to NPR 3,800 per quintal. “If the wheat isn’t well cleaned, we buy it at NPR 3,600 per quintal, but depending on quality, we might pay up to NPR 3,900,” he added. According to grain traders, wheat purchased in Kailali is sold to flour mills in Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi at about NPR 4,000 per quintal. Thakulla stated that so far, 400 quintals of wheat have been dispatched to Nepalgunj for sale at NPR 4,000 per quintal. Ramhari Paudel, owner of Paudel Rice Mill, informed that farmers have recently started bringing wheat for sale. “Due to rainfall and hailstorms, some immature and soil-mixed wheat has been brought in. Last year, we purchased wheat at NPR 4,200 per quintal; this year, the purchase price is between NPR 3,850 and NPR 3,900,” he said.
This year, the government has not set a support price for wheat. Without this, grain procurement centers are coordinating with mills to fix buying and selling prices. Last year, the government had set a minimum support price of NPR 3,867.38 per quintal for wheat. Having previously increased the support price every year, farmers are now complaining they have not received fair prices. The Ministry of Agriculture has reportedly completed a study to propose support price determination to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies. According to agricultural technician Motisingh Bik of the Agricultural Development Section, Tikapur Municipality, timely setting of the support price would provide relief to farmers. “If the support price is fixed on time, farmers won’t have to sell at a loss and the risk of being exploited by intermediaries diminishes,” he said. “This year, since mills and buyers themselves fixed prices, farmers did not get a fair price.”
