Date juice extraction gets momentum in Gopalganj

Our Correspondent GOPALGANJ Dec. 28: The extraction of date juice is going on in full swing in five upazilas of the district, amid a brisk business of this seasonal food item. During the winter season, date juice is a very appetizing drink in our country. The extraction of juice began from the start of winter and is continuing. Winter brings festive mood among the rural people from time immemorial. This is the time when rural women become busy making various delicious snacks from newly harvested rice, date molasses and juice. Growers produce molasses from the date juice. The man who extracts juice is locally called "Gachhi", who are now keeping busy collecting date trees to collect juice. Date juice has a great demand among all sections of people. A glass of juice is now being sold at Tk. 10 to 12 in different haats and bazars in the district. Kamrul Sheikh (45) an extractor of village Bedgram under Gopalganj Sadar Upaila told The F.E. that he has been extracting juice for the last 28 years. The district is famous for quality date juice and also of date molasses. But during the last five years the winter did not last long in the country. As a result the growers could not produce much molasses at this season. According to an unofficial survey there are at least 1,50,000 to 1,75,000 date trees in five upazilas of the district. Some 350 to 375 tonnes of date molasses are produced in the district annually. Large scale potato farming in Chuadanga CHUADANGA, Dec 28 (BSS): A total of 1505 hectares of land have been brought under potato cultivation in four Upazilas of the district in the current Rabi season. According to an official source 400 hectares in Chuadanga Sadar, 500 hector in Alamdanga,225 hectors in Damurhuda and 350 hectares in Jibannagar Upazilas would come under potato cultivation. The source further said a total of 24, 800 metric tonnes of potato are expected to produced in the district during the current Rabi season.