Farmers eye bumper sugarcane yield

Sugarcane growers in Jessore region are optimistic about getting bumper production of their produce this year due to favourable weather conditions and other timely necessary inputs.

According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Jessore a total of 316 hectares of land have been brought under sugarcane cultivation in the district this season.

Farmers in the region said as there is no sugar mill in Jessore all of their produce are not used for sugar production.

Although a number of sugarcane growers' sell the item at Mobarakganj Sugar Mills in Jhenidah, many sold their produce to local vendors for making juice.

Farmer Bablur Rahman of Jamtola village in Sharsha upazila said last year he cultivated sugarcane on one bigha of land spending Tk 15,000 and earned Tk 70,000.

DAE officials said a grower can cultivate 30,000 sugarcane plants on one bigha of land while hawkers sold a single sugarcane stick at Tk 25 and a glass of juice at Tk 20.

Farmers in the district are cultivating sugarcane, mostly of Ishwardi-16 variety, used for making juice, and Ishwardi-27 for producing sugar and molasses.

Sugarcane growers are making a good profit as the cash crop is selling for good prices at local markets, said Kazi Habibur Rahman, an official of DAE in Jessore.