A recent response from the Finance Ministry to sugarcane farmers reflects the state of negligence towards the agricultural sector in Nepal. When farmers demanded their rightful subsidies, the ministry bluntly replied that the government treasury was empty and no financial support could be extended. Similar is the plight of dairy farmers who have yet to receive payments from the state-owned Dairy Development Corporation. These incidents expose the alarming reality: while politics thrives in Nepal, the very farmers who sustain the nation remain neglected and abandoned.

The government appears more concerned with sustaining the political class than addressing the priorities of the country. Huge amounts of the state treasury are consumed in paying salaries, allowances, and perks to elected representatives, while local bodies waste resources on unproductive ventures—building decorative gates at every tole, organizing Teej parties, and hosting extravagant programs that bring no tangible benefit to the people. Sadly, the real needs of the nation, particularly in agriculture, remain unidentified and ignored.

Farmers continue to suffer due to systemic failures. They rarely receive fertilizers or improved seeds on time. Even after producing crops through immense labor, they are denied fair prices. Instead, politically connected middlemen dominate the market, dictating prices and exploiting the farmers. Nepal, which once proudly exported agricultural products, now relies heavily on imports to meet even basic food demands. This dependency has weakened our economy, widened trade deficits, and eroded self-reliance.

The government’s inability to prioritize productive sectors paints a grim picture. A disproportionate share of revenue goes towards sustaining political structures, while development and growth-oriented projects are left underfunded. This trend is symptomatic of an economy sliding down a dangerous path, ultimately raising fears of Nepal being pushed toward the status of a failed state.

What Nepal urgently needs is visionary economic planning. The focus must shift towards reducing imports, revitalizing agriculture, and promoting domestic production to substitute foreign goods. A vibrant economy can only be built by empowering farmers and strengthening local industries. Unfortunately, our policymakers and leaders seem preoccupied with their own interests, leaving little time or commitment to address the structural weaknesses that threaten the nation’s future.