Sweetmeat vendors in the capital said their sale soared up to 5 times on Pahela Baishakh and from two days in the run up to the event as most business celebrate the occasion with distribution of sweets to friends, families and neighbours.
Thought the exact sales amount could not be figured out immediately, Madhab Chandra Ghose, President of the Bangladesh Sweet Manufacturers Association told The Daily Observer on Monday that the sale increased for five times involving an amount of Taka one hundred crore.
The sales increased as different corporate houses joined the mass in distribution of high quality sweets among their clients and staff and the sales.
Pran Group sold around 40 tonnes of sweet to 50 corporate houses including public and private banks, jewelery, electronic and others on this occasion. To meet the high demand, their Kalyanpur factory produced nine tonnes of sweet per day from April 9. Although it produces three tonnes sweets every day in normal situation.
When conducted about Mithai's (sweet) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Animesh Saha said, 25 sweet producing companies sold 10 tonnes of sweets each last year, but this year the sale increased to 35 tonnes each. Mithai is the popular brand of Pran food producing company in the country. Moreover unknown number sweetmeat vendors ran brisk business in the city street corners as more locals bought sweetmeat on this occasion.
Mohammad Ali, owner of Muslim Sweets, said lack of skilled manpower and unwillingness of younger generation people to work in sweet production are retarding the growth of the industry.
He started business with the brand name 'Muslim Sweetmeat'-- a company now widely known in the market in Bijoynagar in 1967. In last 52 years, he opened two more outlets in the city while many are using the name of his brand to become popular.
While visiting different sweet shops this correspondent found workers are producing different sweetmeat items. It includes rasogollas, rasamalai, blackjam, red alloy, white sweets, pillow sweets and others.
According to sources, around 3,500 sweetshops are registered with the Bangladesh Sweet Manufacture Association. Of them, around 250 are in the capital.
"Our Pahela Baishakh sale increased by 4 times this year compared to sales in normal situation," said Mohammed Ali. He said though the practice of opening halkhata is slowly dying, this year about 3,000 businesses, mainly in the old city arranged ceremonial opening ofNEw Year business distributing sweets.
On this occasion, businesses owners invited customers to their shops, welcomed them with sweets while customers cleared their arrears if any and wished them a happy new business year.
The jewellers and similar other businesses also celebrated the New Year in their shops with sweets.
Madhob Chandra Ghose said, "On the occasion we sold 20 to 25 sweet items to the customer. Prices varied between Tk 280 and Tk 1800 per kg depending of quality.
Old sweetmeat shops such as Moronchand Grand Sons, Mohon Chand, Rajdhani, Alauddin, Islamia, Sitaram were among the major brands on high demand although much of their popular items are disappearing while new confectionary items are capturing the market.
