Sugarcane cultivation has increased in Joypurhat thanks to intercropping, easy access to sale proceeds and various technical support. This has raised production at the Joypurhat Sugar Mill, and the mill authorities say they are working to expand cultivation further.

Farmers say a higher price per quintal, getting their money easily through bKash, and more advice and support have led to more sugarcane farming than before.

According to the mill, in the last crushing season (2023–24) sugarcane was grown on 2,005 acres in the district, producing 37,475 tonnes of cane for the mill. After a month of crushing, this yielded 1,170 tonnes of sugar.

Thanks to the mill's initiatives, sugarcane has been grown on 3,002 acres this season (2024–25), with a target of 55,000 tonnes of cane and 3,025 tonnes of sugar. Crushing for the current season was inaugurated on 20 December.

The mill authorities said that technical support for growing potatoes and other intercrops in cane fields, loans for seed and fertiliser, a higher cane price, payment through bKash and regular motivation have led them to set a target of planting cane on four and a half thousand acres. Planting has already been completed on 1,123 acres.

Farmer Anwar Hossain of Raghabpur village in Joypurhat Sadar upazila told Jago News: "I had given up sugarcane completely. Because of the mill's bank loans, advice on intercropping, free seed and other facilities, I have started again. This time I have planted two bighas, with potatoes as an intercrop."

Farmer Rafiqul Islam of Shimultoli village in Panchbibi upazila told Jago News: "We used to suffer to get payment for cane from the mill. Now it comes easily through bKash. Before, there was no other crop with the cane, so there was not much profit. Now growing various crops with cane lowers the cost of production and raises profits, so I am becoming more interested every day."

Abu Taleb Chowdhury, president of the district sugarcane growers' welfare association, told Jago News that farmers are getting several benefits compared with before, which is why cultivation has grown for the past two years. Supplying improved seed and raising the cane price would increase farmers' interest further, he said.

Tareq Farhad, general manager (agriculture) of the Joypurhat Sugar Mill, told Jago News that cane is being bought at Tk 600 per quintal at the mill gate and Tk 587 outside the mill. Technical support and help with intercropping are also being given, and various initiatives to encourage sugarcane farming continue. "We hope farmers' interest in sugarcane will grow further," he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.