Chuadanga District Agriculture Extension Department has fixed about 2500 metric tons of date molasses (jaggery) production by extracting 2,66,410 date trees the upcoming winter season in four Upazilas of Chuadanga district.
Jaggery production related persons including farmers, extractors, potters and blacksmiths are now busy for preparing the date trees, making appliances of sharp weapons and jars. Common people are waiting to get date juice and jaggery for preparing food items.
It is learnt from District Agriculture Extension Department, about 962.18 metric tons of jaggery has been fixed to produce from 97,950 date trees in Sadar Upazila, 390.97 metric tons of jaggery from 42,410 date trees in Alamdanga Upazila, 837.05 metric tons of jaggery from 89,200 date trees in Damurhuda Upazila and 345.80 metric tons of jaggery from 36,850 date trees in Jibannagar upazila.
Farmers and extractors have started to prepare date trees for collecting juice from date trees. Potters are making jars (locally called bhar) and bowl for boiling date juice (Jala). Blacksmiths have been making different types of sharp weapons like machetes and small size of knives for the jaggery growers, it is learnt from different sources.
A number of persons get short term employment in the early winter to late winter for date trees. In the view of economic point, it has got some economic value also that means the concerned people earn money by selling jaggery and juice and bear their family expenses properly, Safiqul Islam, an extractor of village Sreekol-boalia in sadar upazila said.
Abdus Salam of Ersahdpur in Alamdanga upazila of the district said, the date fruit of the district is also testy. The quality of date fruit in not matched with imported dates. To popularize date fruits, the appropriate authority should start intensive research on the fruits and fruit trees.
Golam Rosul, an inhabitant of village Monoharpur in Jibannagar upazila of the district told this correspondent, date juice is very popular among the rural, sub urban and urban community in each part of the district. Every housewife of the areas makes various type of cakes and puddings using jaggery and juice. Dry date leaves are very good fuel and it is used in time of preparing gur from date juice. Besides date leaves is also used to make rugs.
Golam Mahbub Mukul, proprietor of Mistimukh in Chuadanga district town told the Bangladesh Post, owners of sweetmeat shops use jaggery and juice to product different types of sweet items. Especially sweets are prepared by using jaggery.
Bevash Chandra Saha, Deputy Director of Chuadanga Agriculture Extension Department said, now farmers and extractors have been preparing date trees for date juice and molasses. After a few days, the juice will be collected and molasses will be made from it by them.
He also stated, he visited several villages in Jibannagar Upazila of the district, met with farmers and extractors, advised them to produce molasses following hygienic condition.