Suraj Gautam from Rampur Municipality is cultivating sugarcane on 15 ropanis of land. As a child, he saw sugarcane farming on a large scale, but over time, its popularity declined. Gautam wondered why farmers had abandoned sugarcane cultivation, especially since it doesn't require intensive labour. His curiosity sparked an interest in reviving the practice.

Gautam reached out to his neighbours, relatives, and friends to encourage them to restart sugarcane farming. Many were convinced, and with the help of six other youths, they formed Hamro Bahudeshya Krishak Samuha, a multipurpose cooperative, to continue sugarcane farming.

Bishnu Prasad Gautam, also from Rampur, has been busy harvesting sugarcane, cleaning, crushing, and making jaggery for the past three weeks. “From mid-December to mid-February, I spend my days operating the machines and making jaggery,” he said.

As sugarcane farming dwindled, the youth of Rampur began taking up both individual and collective farming to meet local demand. Two decades ago, Rampur Municipality was a key area for sugarcane production.

However, as the older generation gradually left farming and the younger generation showed little interest, sugarcane cultivation slowly disappeared from the area, especially from the hills and mountain regions, according to Bishnu.

“We haven’t even studied why farmers stopped growing sugarcane in the highlands,” said Bishnu. “The older generation left farming due to migration, and the younger generation wasn’t interested in staying in the village or continuing the practice.”

Shambhu Aryal, another local resident, pointed out that sugarcane farming once thrived on around 2,000 ropanis in areas like Khaliban, Rampur, Geja, and Gaidakot. Now, it has shrunk to just 50 ropanis.

Due to the decline in sugarcane production, Rampur has had to import jaggery worth Rs20 million last fiscal year. Seeing this demand, local youths have been energised to revive sugarcane farming, according to farmer Santosh Poudel.

Sugarcane is grown mainly for the production of jaggery (local sweetener called sakkhar) and sugar. The country produces an estimated 3 to 4 million tonnes of sugarcane annually. However, production levels have fluctuated over the years due to various challenges, including limited irrigation infrastructure, outdated farming practices, and a lack of modern machinery.

The production of sugarcane in Nepal largely supports the local jaggery industry, which is an important staple in many rural areas.

Through the cooperative, sugarcane is now being grown on 35 ropanis, with plans to expand to 100 ropanis in the future.

The decline in sugarcane farming can be attributed to migration from the mountain region to the Tarai areas. Currently, sugarcane farming is still practised in places like Geja, Jabgadi, Piluwa, Lamdikhola, Rampur, and Gadakot.

While it was once a major commercial activity, the jaggery produced in Rampur was widely distributed to markets in Syangja, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Tanahu, Butwal, and Bhairahawa.

While sugarcane is mainly grown for sugar production, a large portion of the crop is also used to make jaggery. Jaggery is a popular sweetener used in various Nepali foods and has cultural significance in many festivals and rituals.

Jaggery production involves extracting juice from the sugarcane, which is then boiled and solidified into blocks. The process is labour-intensive, and farmers often have to use traditional tools for crushing the cane and boiling the juice.

Many farmers are actively working to revive sugarcane farming. “There’s no problem selling organic jaggery,” said Champa Gautam, a farmer from Rampur. “I wonder why farmers stopped growing it.”

In the past, jaggery was a hallmark of many villages in Rampur, with Lamdikhola’s jaggery being particularly popular, she added. Traders used to come directly to farmers’ homes while the sugarcane juice was being heated to make jaggery.

Some youth from the village, as well as those returning from abroad, have started sugarcane farming after recognising its potential, according to Pitambar Gautam. “The decline in farming is partly due to the youths’ desire to migrate abroad for work.”

“After seeing the limited opportunities abroad, many of the youth returning from foreign countries are now choosing to engage in farming,” Pitambar said.

To promote sugarcane farming, the cooperative has been formed, and many individuals have also started farming on their own. The completion of the Kaligandaki Corridor, connecting the Siddhartha and East-West highways, has eased transportation, making it easier to sell Rampur’s jaggery in nearby markets such as Narayanghat, Butwal, Pokhara, and others.

Rampur Municipality has also contributed by providing equipment to support sugarcane farming, said Mayor Raman Bahadur Thapa. “Crushing sugarcane used to be difficult, so the municipality helped by providing new machines,” Thapa said. “Expanding sugarcane farming can help boost Rampur’s identity.”

Thapa said that the municipality would provide subsidies on loan interest for sugarcane farming groups or individuals who submit proposals. By integrating new technology into sugarcane farming, the municipality aims to become self-reliant in cane-related products.