Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday instructed the authorities concerned to take all-out measures how and in what way tropical sugar beet can be produced commercially and ensure its storage.
The premier gave the instruction while presiding over the 1st ECNEC (the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council) meeting of the current fiscal year (FY22) held on Wednesday.
The premier joined the meeting virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence while concerned Ministers, State Ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned attended the meeting from the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
The Ecnec approved 10 projects involving Tk 2,575.42 crore on the day with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Newly appointed State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam told reporters after attending the Ecnec meeting that farmers could grow tropical sugar beet within 3-4 months on the same land against one sugarcane crop annually.
The Prime Minister instructed to use the vast potential it has, he added.
However, little known though in Bangladesh, it is a potential substitute for sugarcane in Bangladesh for crop-growers who have long been struggling to make their farming commercially viable.
Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute (BSRI) says the organisation has achieved ‘encouraging’ results in piloting the cultivation of tropical sugar beets, a raw material of sugar, in different parts of the country.
Sugar beet is a plant, the tuber of which contains high concentration of sucrose and it is being cultivated commercially in many countries for sugar production and ranks second to sugarcane for global sugar production.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of 10 projects were approved on Wednesday involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 2,575.42 crore.
“Of the total project cost, Tk 2,150.42 crore will come from the Government of Bangladesh while the rest of Tk 425 crore as project assistance,” he added.
Of the approved 10 projects, seven are new while three are revised projects.
Mannan said the Wage Earners Welfare Board under the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment will implement the Tk 427crore project by December 2023 under which Tk 13,500 would be provided to each of some 2 lakh expatriate workers, who have returned home due to the negative impact of COVID-19 worldwide.
The World Bank will provide Tk 425 crore as loan for the project.
He said the workers will be given necessary orientation and counseling while some 23,500 selected skilled workers would be facilitated to get jobs both at home and abroad.
The other project operations include preparation of a database of the returnee workers, making the returnees connected with financial, technical and other relevant organisations and providing support to get loan and financial assistance, and engaging them in different productive activities and small business enterprises.
The Wage Earners’ Welfare Board under the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry will execute the project by December 2023.
The project will be implemented in 32 districts of the country. The districts are: Dhaka, Tangail, Kishoreganj, Narsingdi, Munshiganj, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Pabna, Bogura, Naogaon, Rajshahi, Sirajganj, Barishal, Patuakhali, Kushtia, Jashore, Khulna, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Chandpur, Feni, Noakhali, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and Rangamati.