Dulal Mia, a farmer of Charpara village in Laur-Fatehpur union of the upazila, dreams of changing his fortune by cultivating sugarcane in Nabinagar of Brahmanbaria. Although sugarcane has a longer duration than other crops, the number of sugarcane farmers in the upazila is gradually increasing as the profit is high. According to the local agriculture department, interest in sugarcane cultivation is increasing day by day due to expected yield and good market demand due to weather and soil quality.
Sugarcane is a juicy and sweet crop. Due to local demand and fair price in the market, several farmers in Nabinagar still continue sugarcane cultivation. According to the sources of agriculture department, sugarcane has been cultivated in only three bighas of land in the upazila in the current season.
Farmers are expecting a bumper yield in sugarcane cultivation this season due to the planting of Ishwardi 15, 17, 27 and BSRI-1 varieties of sugarcane by the Agriculture Office this year. Each bigha costs 35 to 40 thousand taka and sells it from one to one and a half lakh taka.
Each sugarcane is being sold for Tk 30 to Tk 100 depending on the size in the retail market. Sugarcane farmers said, if there is no damage in the storm, there is no loss in sugarcane cultivation. Apart from that, sugarcane cultivation does not require much use of fertilizers and pesticides, but irrigation is required. Other crops can be grown as companion crops with sugarcane.
About the sugarcane cultivation method, the farmers also said that to cultivate sugarcane, first the land is plowed 3 to 4 times and the land is prepared several times.
Since sugarcane land needs drainage system.
Zamir Hossain, a sugarcane farmer in Pak Hajipur area of the upazila, said that earlier I used to cultivate other crops, now I am cultivating sugarcane. I cultivated sugarcane in one bigha of land this season. It costs about 30 thousand rupees.
The yield has been good, I hope to be able to sell sugarcane worth one lakh Tk. Sumon Ahmed, a retail sugarcane trader in the market, said that the sugarcane market is
good now. I sold one field of sugarcane for 90 thousand taka. I hope to be able to sell another sugarcane field for one lakh Tk.
Agriculture officer of Nabinagar, Jaglul Haider said that fertilizers and pesticides are not required to be used in sugarcane cultivation. Sugarcane cultivation can be more profitable with less labor and less cost.
The Department of Agriculture is providing training and counseling in various ways to encourage the farmers in sugarcane cultivation by introducing new varieties and reducing fungal attacks.