Sugarcane prices have been re-fixed from Tk 350 to Tk 450 per quintal in 2022-23 fiscal year in all sugar mills areas of the country including Carew & Company (Bangladesh) Ltd, Chuadanga under the control of Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation. So farmers and others have been rejoicing in Chuadanga district.
Chuadanga District Agriculture Extension Department sources added, a total of 1129 hectares of land has been taken under sugarcane cultivation this fiscal year in 4 upazilas of Chuadanga district. The production target has been fixed about 84675 metric tons of sugarcane by cultivation on the land.
The upazila wise breaks up are- 58,500 metric tons of sugarcane will be produced by cultivating 780 hectares of land in sadar upazila, 2175 metric tons of sugarcane by cultivating 29 hectares of land in Alamdanga upazila, 3000 metric tons of sugarcane by cultivating 40 hectares of land in Damurhuda upazila and 21000 metric tons of sugarcane by cultivating 280 hectares of land in Jibannagar upazila.
According to Darshana Cerew and Company Sugar Mills sources, a letter of sugarcane price hike, signed by Sugar and Food Industries Corporation Chairman (Grade-1) Arifur Rahman Apu and Corporation Director (CD) Ashraf Ali, was received by Darshana Cerew and Company Sugar Mills authority recently. When the news of sugarcane price hike from the Sugar and Food Industries Corporation was acknowledged among sugar mill officials, employees, sugarcane growers and the common people, they were seen rejoicing.
According to the letter, it was Tk. 350 per quintal in 2021-22 financial year and it has been increased to Tk 450 per quintal sugarcane in 2022-23 financial year. On other words, it has increased by Tk.45 per quintal. Outer sugar cane purchasing center was 350 taka per quintal last year, this time it is increased to 440 taka.
It may be mentioned here that in the middle of the threshing season last fiscal year, from the 15th of January, for 15 consecutive days, it has been increased by 3 taka in 5 times, this next time it will be increased to 4 taka for the same times per quintal.
Cerew and Company Sugar Mills, Sugarcane Welfare Association President Abdul Hannan Mandal, General Secretary Abdul Bari said, increasing the price of sugarcane is good news for us, but if the price of sugarcane is to increase by tk. 200 per quintal from before price (2021-22 fiscal year price), then sale of produced sugar may be re-fixed more taka, as mill authority, government and farmers would benefite.
Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain, Managing Director of Cerews and Company Sugar Mills, said the long-standing demand of the farmers was to increase the price of sugarcane.
He said again, Sugar Mills had made a total profit of over Tk. 50 crore in the 2021-22 financial year, adding that as more sugarcane is available next year, the mill would see a double profit for that period.