Good sugarcane yield delights farmers

Sugarcane growers in the district are all smiles as they got good yield of the crop due to favourable weather and absence of attacks by pests and diseases.

The prices are little higher in the beginning of the season but the sellers and the buyers are happy over the good supply.

Though sugarcane cultivation demands hard labour, local farmers became interested in cultivating it due to higher profit than other crops, including jute.

Sugarcane was cultivated on 559 hectares of land at nine upazilas out of 12 upazilas in the district this year, said district Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Shariful Islam. Of those, 260 hectares are in Sadar upazila, 100 hectares in Nagarpur, 60 hectares in Bhuapur, 32 hectares in Mirzapur, 20 hectares in Ghatail, 18 hectares in Kalihati, 16 hectares in Madhupur, 14 hectares in Gopalpur, 38 hectares in Delduar, and one hectare in Basail upazilas, he said.

Sugarcane was cultivated on 699 hectares of land in the district and the production was 33,574 tonnes, he added.

Rakibul Islam, a sugarcane farmer of Dharerbari village under Baghil union in Sadar upazila, said he has cultivated sugarcane on one bigha of land.

"I have spent Tk 25,000 for cultivation, including Tk 3,000 for buying saplings, Tk 1,000 for ploughing, Tk 5,000 for labour cost, and Tk 3,000 for fertilisers," he said.

"I hope I can sell my sugarcane for at least Tk 50,000," he said.

Farmer Shayan Miah of the same village said he cultivated sugarcane on 1.5 bighas of land and also got good yield.

Sugarcane was cultivated on around 100 hectares of land at Pitchuria, Krishnapur, Tablapara and Dharerbari villages and the yield was good as pests or diseases did not attack the fields this year, said farmer Rokon Hossain.

DAE District Deputy Director Md Abdur Razzak said bumper sugarcane was produced in the district this year and the farmers are getting good prices for their produce.