NATORE, Dec 23: This season, the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Singra Upazila of the district has fixed 58,000 date trees for juice collection.
Agriculturist Khondoker Farid of the upazila DAE confirmed this information.
Usually extractors produce molasses from date juice in the winter season. Besides, many of them also come from Rajshahi, Sirajganj and Bogura districts. They come in groups and take lease of date trees from owners and produce different types of quality molasses.
There are so many family factories in the upazila for making molasses. Local agriculture officials monitor these factories regularly.
The date tree is an additional source of income for farmers. Beside molasses, many valuable things such as mats, bags etc are made from its dry leaves. These are sold in markets at good prices.
Considering its benefit, the agriculture department is doing publicity everywhere in the upazila, asking people to plant at least one date tree in every house, he said again.
Siddique and Altaf were making molasses in Dhulauri Village. They said, they came here in the month of Kartik and will stay till Falgun. This year they took lease of 270 trees.
Cold and sunny weather are favourable for making molasses. If weather is favourable the production increases.
They said, they earn Tk 50,000 to 60,000 in five months of the season.
