Date molasses changes life of Pabna farmers
Monday, 22 November 2010
Our Correspondent
PABNA, Nov 21: Production of date molasses in winter changes the economic condition of the farmers of Pabna. They can run their families well during the winter for date juice, locals said.
This is the season of 'nalini patali' made of date juice. Different markets of the district have now been flooded with date molasses.
Extraction of date juice is going on in full swing in the district from the advent of the winter. The extraction will continue till the end of the spring.
According to locals, Pabna and its neighbouring districts from famous for quality date molasses. Date trees grow abundantly in the district due to favourable soil and climatic condition. They need no particular care for nursing.
A survey conducted recently by Aso Jiban Gari, an NGO, revealed that there were about 0.7million date trees in 1,836 villages of the district and molasses worth Tk 1billion was produced from the juice of these trees annually.
Every year during the winter, professional extractors become busy with extracting date juice from trees, and produce molasses out of it.
Traditional date juice extractors, locally known as gachhis, trim the tops of date trees normally from noon to evening, insert a tiny bamboo-made pipe into the trimmed portion of each tree in a special way, and fix an earthen pot to it so that the juice is collected drop by drop in it. The pot becomes full in the morning.
The 'gachhis' trim score of trees in this way and collect the pots in the morning and take those to markets for sale. They earn additional amount of money during this season by scalling the date juice.
Date juice has to be boiled for long hours to produce 'patali' and molasses. The time varies in producing various qualities of molasses. Its quantity is reduced to make small hard cakes usually weighing 250 grams each. It is locally called 'patali.' Semi solid variety of molasses is called 'gur.'
Different kinds of winter cakes like puli, bhapa, patisapta etc are prepared by using date molasses. People in the rural areas are accustomed to taking 'gur' with puffed rice, flaked rice, milk and coconut at breakfast during the winter season. They even entertain their guests with the same. Raw juice is also relishing.
Scores of bullock carts, push carts, rickshaw vans and buffalo carts loaded with earthen pots full of molasses are seen heading for different markets in the district everyday for sale. Trucks loaded with date molasses are sent to Dhaka, Chittagong and other districts.
When this correspondent visited Tebunia market in the district headquarters and Barobazar on Dai Bazar road, he saw date molasses and gur-patali were selling at exorbitant prices due to their high demand.
Molasses were being sold at Tk 50 to 60 per kg according to its variety. Per kilogram of 'nalini gur' was being sold at Tk 80 to 90. The other quality patali was being sold at Tk 70 to 80.
A large number of traders are coming to Pabna from the neighbouring districts for purchasing date molasses this year, a trader at the market said.
PABNA, Nov 21: Production of date molasses in winter changes the economic condition of the farmers of Pabna. They can run their families well during the winter for date juice, locals said.
This is the season of 'nalini patali' made of date juice. Different markets of the district have now been flooded with date molasses.
Extraction of date juice is going on in full swing in the district from the advent of the winter. The extraction will continue till the end of the spring.
According to locals, Pabna and its neighbouring districts from famous for quality date molasses. Date trees grow abundantly in the district due to favourable soil and climatic condition. They need no particular care for nursing.
A survey conducted recently by Aso Jiban Gari, an NGO, revealed that there were about 0.7million date trees in 1,836 villages of the district and molasses worth Tk 1billion was produced from the juice of these trees annually.
Every year during the winter, professional extractors become busy with extracting date juice from trees, and produce molasses out of it.
Traditional date juice extractors, locally known as gachhis, trim the tops of date trees normally from noon to evening, insert a tiny bamboo-made pipe into the trimmed portion of each tree in a special way, and fix an earthen pot to it so that the juice is collected drop by drop in it. The pot becomes full in the morning.
The 'gachhis' trim score of trees in this way and collect the pots in the morning and take those to markets for sale. They earn additional amount of money during this season by scalling the date juice.
Date juice has to be boiled for long hours to produce 'patali' and molasses. The time varies in producing various qualities of molasses. Its quantity is reduced to make small hard cakes usually weighing 250 grams each. It is locally called 'patali.' Semi solid variety of molasses is called 'gur.'
Different kinds of winter cakes like puli, bhapa, patisapta etc are prepared by using date molasses. People in the rural areas are accustomed to taking 'gur' with puffed rice, flaked rice, milk and coconut at breakfast during the winter season. They even entertain their guests with the same. Raw juice is also relishing.
Scores of bullock carts, push carts, rickshaw vans and buffalo carts loaded with earthen pots full of molasses are seen heading for different markets in the district everyday for sale. Trucks loaded with date molasses are sent to Dhaka, Chittagong and other districts.
When this correspondent visited Tebunia market in the district headquarters and Barobazar on Dai Bazar road, he saw date molasses and gur-patali were selling at exorbitant prices due to their high demand.
Molasses were being sold at Tk 50 to 60 per kg according to its variety. Per kilogram of 'nalini gur' was being sold at Tk 80 to 90. The other quality patali was being sold at Tk 70 to 80.
A large number of traders are coming to Pabna from the neighbouring districts for purchasing date molasses this year, a trader at the market said.