Sweet smell of date juice extraction pervades through Rangpur divn

RANGPUR, Dec 22: Sweet smell of date juice fills the air as extraction of the juice is going on in full swing across eight districts under Rangpur division.

As the winter has already arrived in the region the extractors of date juice are in a jubilant mood and passing busy time. They are now busy extracting juice from date trees across the region.

Presently Nabanno Utsab is being celebrated in different areas of the division. A joyful atmosphere has been prevailing in the village areas which started with the advent of winter. The farmers have almost completed harvesting Aman paddy while rural housewives are passing busy hours making different varieties of delicious cakes, payesh, sweetmeats from newly harvested rice and also date molasses.

Pitha (rice cakes) made in region are very much delicious and relishing. The housewives in both rural and urban areas prepare various kinds of Pithas such as Bhapa Pitha (steamed cake), Puli Pitha etc.  The cakes are also varied in taste and quality.

A number of people of the region are engaged in selling of date juice. Nurunnabi (40), an extractor of date juice locally called  Gachhi of  Fulchouki  village under Mithapukur  upazila in Rangpur district told The Financial Express that he has been in this profession for many years. It is his ancestral profession. He earns Tk 180 to Tk 200 per day by selling date juice.  Per glass juice is sold between Tk 6 to Tk 10.

Mizanur, another Gachhi of Laldighi village under Taraganj upazila in Rangpur told FE that every year they wait for this season because during the particular time their income increases a lot. He said he earns Tk 200 to Tk 240 a day by selling date juice. It costs about Tk 60 to Tk 70 to prepare a kg of molasses which sells at Tk 90 to Tk 120 per kg in market, he added.

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