Sugar mills in Bangladesh may face a sugarcane shortage this year as the area under cane cultivation has declined by almost half compared to the previous cultivation season.
According to the media report, the sudden closure of six sugar mills in the country last year has affected the cane farmers and most of them have shifted to other crops. The farmers in the catchment areas of sugar mills have refrained from cane cultivation.
Cane crushing season starts in December every year in the country.
The area under cane cultivation in 2020 was 1.09 lakh acres and this year it has remained at 49,900 acres.
As per news report published in thedailystar.net, Last year the government had closed Panchagarh Sugar Mill, Shyampur Sugar Mill in Badarganj Upazila of Rangpur, Setabganj Sugar Mill in Dinajpur, Pabna Sugar Mills, Kushtia Sugar Mill and Rangpur Sugar Mills. The closure of these mills had affected the farmers financially and many have lost their capital entirely due to the government’s decision.
Md Sagar Hossain, president of sugarcane growers association in Rangpur said the farmers are not willing to take cane cultivation as they have suffered heavy losses.
Shahjahan Ali Badsha, general secretary of the Federation of Bangladesh Sugar Mill Farmers, said that the closure of the sugar mills has devastated the cane farmers.
To receive ChiniMandi updates on WhatsApp, please click on the link below.
WhatsApp Group Link
