Photo : Messenger
Sugarcane farmers in Jhenaidah are finding renewed optimism this season as they are receiving higher prices compared to the previous year, encouraging them to return to sugarcane cultivation.
The decline in sugarcane cultivation has been attributed to various unfavorable environmental conditions, coupled with the cultivation of more lucrative crops such as flowers and fruits within a short timeframe. Additionally, a significant surge in sugarcane production was a contributing factor.
The Mubarakganj Sugar Mill in Jhenaidah, a prominent industry in the southwestern region, commenced its 2023-24 harvesting season on Friday with an announcement of increased prices for sugarcane compared to the previous year.
The mill aims to crush 50 thousand metric tons of sugarcane within 40 days, setting a target of 3 thousand metric tons of sugar production, assuming an average sugar extraction rate of 6 percent.
This year, the fixed price for each maund of sugarcane has been set at Tk 220, a notable increase from Tk 180 in the previous year.
The last crushing season in 2022-23 concluded in just 28 days due to a scarcity of sugarcane. It marked the shortest production duration in the mill's history as farmers did not cultivate sugarcane during that season. Despite this, the mill managed to crush 35 thousand 360 metric tons of sugarcane, yielding 1 thousand 745 metric tons of sugar. The sugarcane price in that year was Tk 180, though historical records indicate that farmers in the mill area typically cultivated sugarcane on 8 to 10 thousand hectares of land each season.
Gautam Kumar Mondal, the General Manager (Agriculture) of the mill, disclosed that a target of cultivating sugarcane on 5000 acres of land has been set for the current planting season. In the past month, 2 thousand 50 acres of land have already been cultivated, and it is anticipated that sugarcane cultivation will expand to about 1000 more acres in the coming month.
Moreover, out of 3000 acres in the field, approximately 2000 acres will be dedicated to milling sugarcane. Overall, there is an expectation of increased sugarcane planting and sugar production in the upcoming 2024-25 threshing season. The official emphasized that the current high price of sugarcane is a significant factor driving farmers towards sugarcane cultivation this year.
It is noteworthy that the Mobarakganj sugar mill was established by the Dutch government on 207.93 acres of its own land in 1965 in the Kaliganj upazila town of Jhenaidah. The establishment included a factory on 20.62 acres, a residential colony for officials and workers on 38.22 acres, a pond on 23.98 acres, and an experimental yak farm on 107 acres.
Additionally, 18.12 acres of land comprise a subzone office and sugarcane buying center. The mill conducted 60 working days of experimental sugarcane threshing during the establishment season, and after meeting the set target, commercial production commenced from the 1967-1968 threshing season. The mill serves six upazilas of Jhenaidah and two upazilas of Jessore, covering three and a half lakh acres of cultivable land across eight zones and boasting 48 sugarcane buying centers.
Messenger/Bipash/Shahin
