Wednesday | 15 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Wednesday | 15 January 2025 | Epaper
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Commercial importance of date molasses

Published : Wednesday, 15 January, 2025 at 12:00 AM  Count : 175
Md Zillur Rahaman
It is really difficult to find a Bengali who does not like date juice and jaggery. Once upon a time, winter used to enjoy eating all kinds of pitha-puli made by mother's hands. When the winter season came, there was a festive atmosphere in the township around the 'date tree' known as the honey tree, a symbol of rural Bengal's tradition. During the winter season, the villagers tried to entertain the guests with jaggery, patali, pitha, pies etc. made from date juice. But the scent of that date juice and molasses is not seen much in the village bazaar anymore. Everyone has forgotten the taste of sweet date juice, a tradition of winter. 

However, recently commercial production and marketing of date molasses has emerged as a potentially lucrative business. Several entrepreneurs have emerged in different parts of the country focusing on date molasses. Entrepreneurs are involved in production, marketing and trading of quality date jaggery. Many of these entrepreneurs are working to explore and expand their business online. However, once upon a time in the villages of Bangladesh, Gachirs (who collect date juices) used to extract juice from date trees and make molasses themselves. The plant would take a share of the juice, the owner of the tree would get a share. Some of them were sold at market ports to meet their own needs. Over the years, the production of date molasses from this traditional system has become more commercial and also new business opportunities have emerged. Now when the season comes, date trees are leased and date trees are planted commercially in some areas. In this process the work of extracting juice and making molasses has emerged as a wage-based occupation in some places. 

The districts of Jessore, Kushtia, Jhenaidah, Faridpur, Madaripur and Khulna in the south western region have always been famous for date jaggery and juice. Date molasses was once valued as a cash crop in these areas. Jessore's traditional molasses "Patali" has a long history. Date juice and molasses of Jessore are incomparable in taste and smell. 

A gathering of date tree cutters was held on January 7, 2025, in the initiative of upazila agriculture expansion in Chowagacha of Jessore. Hundreds of trees participated in this gathering of Upazila Parishad auditorium. This gathering was held to encourage the farmers to collect sap from date trees in the current winter season besides farming. About hundred date farmers from different villages of the upazila participated in this gathering. It was informed in the meeting that Molasses Mela will be held in the upazila square for 3 days from the 1st of Maghs.

It is known that there is a huge demand for date juice and molasses in the country and abroad. If its production can be increased in a planned manner, it can play a major role in creating employment in rural towns. Moreover, considering its importance in rural economy, its commercial expansion needs to be done under government initiatives. If young entrepreneurs can be involved in this business through proper planning and training, besides playing a role in the national economy of the country, it is possible to earn foreign currency by exporting abroad.   

Once upon a time, date molasses was exported to many countries of the world including Europe to meet the country's needs. For this reason, there is a need to plant more date trees through public and private initiatives and to bring back the tradition of date juice through the training of farmers. Due to the indifference of the local administration and lack of strict supervision, a large part of the date trees are being wasted due to the free burning of fruit trees including date trees in brick kilns. If this continues, the tradition of date juice may be lost. The pitha payesh of date juice will then live only as a fond memory. Therefore, the number of date trees should be increased in a planned and scientific manner so that they can make an important contribution to our rural economy. It should be kept alive considering its economic importance, heritage and commercial potential.

The writer is a banker


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