This year’s sugarcane harvest in Jashore has brought satisfaction and profit to local farmers, as favorable weather and limited pest attacks have led to strong yields and higher market prices. Encouraged by the results, many cultivators in the region are turning to sugarcane as a lucrative cash crop.
Sugarcane grows best on slightly elevated, loamy soils, which are abundant in Jashore. These ideal conditions have boosted cultivation across the district. Farmers reported that the season’s yield and quality exceeded expectations, resulting in good earnings.
Ratan Debnath, a farmer from Datpur village in Bagharpara upazila, cultivated sugarcane on 13 decimals of land this year. His total investment was between Tk 40,000 and Tk 50,000, and he sold his harvest for Tk 200,000. “The total cost of sugarcane farming can easily be recovered, which makes it a profitable venture,” Ratan said, noting that more farmers are now showing interest in growing the crop.
At Khaldhar Mor, one of the district’s busiest sugarcane markets, around 15,000 stalks are sold daily, generating nearly Tk 600,000 in transactions. Prices currently range from Tk 2,000 to Tk 6,000 per hundred stalks, depending on quality. After meeting local demand, much of the produce is supplied to neighboring districts.
Farmers say that market demand for sugarcane has been strong this year, with individual stalks selling for a minimum of Tk 20. The combination of favorable prices, strong yields, and low pest damage has made this season particularly successful.
Officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said they are working to make sugarcane farming even more profitable by training farmers and encouraging companion cropping alongside sugarcane to maximize land use and income.
“Since sugarcane is a long-term crop, we are encouraging farmers to grow other compatible crops in between the rows,” said Samaren Bishwash, Additional Deputy Director of the Jashore DAE. “This not only improves land productivity but also provides additional income opportunities for farmers.”
According to the DAE, about 220 hectares of land in Jashore have been brought under sugarcane cultivation this year, with an expected production of around 22,000 tons. The total market value of this year’s yield is estimated at Tk 220 million, marking a strong year for the district’s sugarcane growers.
