The saying "Jashorer jash, khejurer ras" – Jashore's pride is its date palm juice – is well known to people in Bengal. Because of the climate, date palms grow in large numbers in this region, and every winter it produces plenty of date palm gur and patali. Thanks to the quality of the soil, the juice and gur of the Jashore region taste very different from those of other parts of the country.

Jhenaidah is one of the districts of greater Jashore, and its Kaliganj upazila is especially famous for date palm gur. A large market for gur and patali sits in Kaliganj every Monday and Friday. From here, gur and patali made from fresh juice go to Dhaka, Sylhet, Barishal, Faridpur, Madaripur, Cumilla, Khulna, Satkhira, Kushtia, Jhalakathi and other parts of the country.

Tappers from villages across Kaliganj upazila bring their gur and patali to sell at the market, which is widely known among outside traders. But as date palms dwindle and many tappers stop tapping, the fame of Kaliganj's gur and patali is fading. Rain early in the current winter season also meant far less gur reached the market this year.

Niamat Ali of Harigobindapur village in Kushtia, who came to buy at the Kaliganj market, said he has been in the gur trade for 47 years. At this market he bought 28 thile (earthen pots), or 7 maunds, of gur for about Tk 25,000, which he will sell wholesale and retail in Kushtia at Tk 100 to Tk 120 a kg.

Lutfar Rahman, who came from Barobazar, said he bought 16 maunds of jhol (liquid) gur at Tk 40 to Tk 50 a kg and will sell it at Tk 60 to Tk 70.

He said granular (dana) gur costs more and jhol gur less: a pot of dana gur sells for Tk 700 to Tk 900 and a pot of jhol gur for Tk 400 to Tk 600. He has been in the gur trade for 18 years.

Alinur Rahman of Sreerampur village in Kaliganj said he buys gur on behalf of wholesalers (mahajans) in Barishal, Jashore, Khulna, Paikgachha, Jhalakathi and other districts and upazilas and sends it to them by truck. The mahajans send him the money according to market prices, so many distant buyers do not need to come to Kaliganj themselves.

Khalil Biswas, who came to sell patali from Bishoykhali village in Jhenaidah Sadar upazila, said he buys patali directly from households at Tk 120 to Tk 140 a kg and sells it at Tk 150 to Tk 160. The margin is Tk 10 to Tk 20 a kg, and when prices are good it is sometimes Tk 30 to Tk 40.

Tobarak Ali Mondal, a local resident of Kaliganj, said he buys gur for traders who come to the market from different places. The big traders pour the gur from the earthen pots into plastic drums and take it away by truck, van, alomsadhu and other vehicles to districts across the country.

Atiar Rahman, lessee of the Kaliganj gur market, said Kaliganj's date palm gur is very well known and carries the aroma of fresh juice, which gives it a strong reputation among traders. Many pithas are made with gur in winter, and traders who buy gur in winter sell it throughout the year.

He said brick kiln owners are buying date palms and burning them, and many tappers have stopped tapping, so less gur now comes to the market than before. The Kaliganj date palm gur market still survives in greater Jashore, he said, but it may not be able to keep its glory in future.

Source: Dhaka Tribune. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.