Baira union alone produces sugarcane worth Tk300m

MANIKGANJ, Nov 09: Manikganj's Singair upazila has witnessed remarkable success in sugarcane farming, particularly in Baira union, with local farmers earning substantial profits from cultivating other companion crops like mustard and maize alongside as well.
Farmer Alkas Hossain from Nayabari village in Baira union has been involved in such farming process. From the young age, he had worked alongside his father in agriculture. Seeking a better livelihood, he later moved to Saudi Arabia and worked there for 12 years. After returning home, Alkas began sugarcane cultivation on his land. Following the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) 's advice, he has been growing mustard and maize as companion crops for the past four years.
"This year, I cultivated sugarcane on three bighas of land, spending around Tk100,000 and earned about Tk300,000. I also made an additional profit of Tk70,000 from maize and mustard cultivation," Alkas said. "Because of the higher profit with lower costs, many farmers in our area are now following my example." According to the Upazila Agriculture Office, sugarcane has been cultivated on 280 hectares of land across Singair this year, involving about 1,200 farmers. Among them, Baira union leads with 270 hectares, making it the largest sugarcane-producing area in the upazila.
Officials estimate that Baira alone produces sugarcane worth around Tk300 million (Tk30 crore) each year. With relatively low production costs and good market prices, sugarcane cultivation is expanding here every year. Farmer Peer Ahmed from Nayabari village said, "This year, I cultivated Bombay and Rangbilash varieties of sugarcane on six bighas of land. I've already sold sugarcane worth Tk400,000 and still have crops worth another Tk200,000 in the field. The profit is quite satisfactory this season."
Matior Rahman, another farmer from Baira, added, "Our village is famous for sugarcane cultivation. For generations, our families have been growing it. Earlier, we used to sell only in local markets, but now wholesale traders from Dhaka come directly to buy from our fields."
Farmer Sorhab Mia said, "This year's sugarcane yield and market price are better than the last few years. Each sugarcane stalk sells for Tk 30 to Tk 35 on average. We sell the entire field to wholesalers, who harvest, clean, bundle, and load them onto trucks. Labor costs are around Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000 for loading 1,000 canes."
Farmer Rahmat Mia from the same village explained, "We plant sugarcane seedlings in early December along with mustard, and later grow potatoes or coriander. This way, we get two crops from the same land. By the time the sugarcane is ready for sale, the income from companion crops already covers most of the costs. This method increases farmers' total earnings by 20 to 25 percent."
Every day, truckloads of sugarcane are sent from Baira union to various markets in Dhaka. Thanks to easy transportation and high-quality produce, wholesalers from the capital increasingly prefer Baira's sugarcane.
Shahin Molla, a wholesaler at Baira market, said, "Baira has become a major sugarcane hub. There's strong demand in Dhaka, Savar, and Keraniganj for sugarcane from here. It takes less than 1.5 hours to reach Dhaka, and the roads are good; so transportation is easy. We often buy the fields in advance."
Sohel Ahmed, a wholesaler from Dhaka's Karwan Bazar, shared, "The sweetness and size of Baira's sugarcane are unmatched. We've been sourcing sugarcane from this area for about four years. Every day, we take at least three to four truckloads of sugarcane to Dhaka. Harvesting here is easy, and labour is readily available."
Local trader Mahid said, "I cultivate sugarcane myself and also buy from other farmers to sell in Dhaka. Because of smooth transportation, its business is quite profitable."
Kazi Shahidul Ferdous, sub-assistant agriculture officer of Baira Union, said, "Among Singair's 11 unions and one municipality, Baira has the highest sugarcane production. This year, 270 hectares of land have been cultivated with sugarcane here. The soil in this area is ideal for sugarcane. Farmers' interest is growing every year, and this season, more than a thousand farmers are involved. With both good yields and strong prices, they are earning more than ever before." Md Habibul Bashar Chowdhury, upazila agriculture officer, added, "Singair upazila produces the most sugarcane in Manikganj. Farmers invest around Tk 30,000 to Tk 40,000 per bigha and earn nearly Tk 100,000 from sugarcane sales, plus extra income from companion crops. Both yield and price are excellent this season; so farmers gained much more profit than last year. From Baira union alone, about Tk 30 crore worth of sugarcane will be sold this year."

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