Planting date, palm, golpata trees along roadside planned
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
FHM Humayan Kabir
The government plans to plant date, palm and 'golpata' trees on the roadside and embankments to meet growing sugar and molasses demand targeting 0.86 million tonnes of more production annually, officials said Monday. Agriculture ministry officials said they wanted to plant the trees across the country, which would help Bangladesh cut the demand gap of 1.20 million tonnes of sugar and molasses per year. "We will invest Tk86.2 million for planting the tress in 56 upazilas on pilot basis. Hope it will be a successful programme," Director General of the Bangladesh Sugar Research Institute (BSRI) Dr. Gopal Chandra Paul said. "After getting good result we have plans to expand the programme throughout the country," he told the FE. The BSRI has undertaken the programme aimed at producing sugar and molasses for meeting growing demand of the country. Mr. Paul said local production of sugar and molasses is 0.60 million tonnes against some 1.80 million tonnes of annual demand. There is scope for planting 65 million date, palm and 'golpata' tress on the roadsides and embankments across the country. From the trees, the country can produce 0.86 million tonnes of sugar and molasses a year, Mr. Paul said. (More on Page 7)
The government plans to plant date, palm and 'golpata' trees on the roadside and embankments to meet growing sugar and molasses demand targeting 0.86 million tonnes of more production annually, officials said Monday. Agriculture ministry officials said they wanted to plant the trees across the country, which would help Bangladesh cut the demand gap of 1.20 million tonnes of sugar and molasses per year. "We will invest Tk86.2 million for planting the tress in 56 upazilas on pilot basis. Hope it will be a successful programme," Director General of the Bangladesh Sugar Research Institute (BSRI) Dr. Gopal Chandra Paul said. "After getting good result we have plans to expand the programme throughout the country," he told the FE. The BSRI has undertaken the programme aimed at producing sugar and molasses for meeting growing demand of the country. Mr. Paul said local production of sugar and molasses is 0.60 million tonnes against some 1.80 million tonnes of annual demand. There is scope for planting 65 million date, palm and 'golpata' tress on the roadsides and embankments across the country. From the trees, the country can produce 0.86 million tonnes of sugar and molasses a year, Mr. Paul said. (More on Page 7)