The date palm juice collectors in various upazila of Chuadanga district have started to prepare the date palm trees to collect the date palm juice.
As winter approaches, the date palm juice collectors, known as ‘Gachi,’ will begin collecting the juice. While the juice is used to make molasses and jiggery, some people likes to drink the juice fresh.
This year, the target has been set to produce molasses worth over Tk 35crores from this district. This delicious molasses will meet local demand and be supplied across the country.
The Gachis, with a machete in hand and a rope tied around their waists, have already started to cut the trees in their special way and set up the tubes. Despite the risks, they hang from the trees with ropes around their waists to collect the juice. Every afternoon, small and large clay pots are tied to the trees, and the juice gathers in the pot throughout the night which the Gachis collect in the morning. Some Gachis sell the fresh juice at various places and local markets for people to drink, while others boil the juice in the morning to make molasses.
Kadel Mallik from Uthli village of Jibannagar upazila said tt’s been 10 days since we started the work. The trees have been cleaned of dirt and unnecessary branches. The golden part of the date palm tree has been exposed with a sharp machete, and the setup for installing tubes is nearly complete. In a few days, clay pots will be attached to the trees, collecting the delicious date juice will begin. This juice will be used to make molasses and jaggery.
He added that producing one kilogram of molasses costs around 90-100 taka, while it sells for 120-130 taka. This low profit margin discourages farmers from making molasses.
Liyakat Hossain from Dehati village said the traditional date palm juice of rural Bengal is closely tied to winter. In about two weeks, the juice collection process from the trees will begin. He owns 40 trees himself and took another 40 trees on lease. Once a tree is cut at the top, juice can be collected from it for three to four days.
Commenting on the decreasing number of date palm trees, Abu Talib, resident of Katapol village, said the current rate at which date palm trees are disappearing, there may come a time when there will be none left in our country. If we want to preserve this tradition, it is essential for all of us to plant more date palm trees, and nurture them with care. Ismail Hossain from Jadabpur village said the molasses produced from the date palm juice of Chuadanga district has a high demand across the country. Every year, a large amount molasses is exported from the villages to various parts of the country. However, this traditional practice of collecting date juice and making molasses is on the verge of extinction due to the illegal establishment of brick kilns. Hundreds of date palm trees in the area are being destroyed daily to supply them as fuel in these brick kilns, negatively impacting the rural economy. Nevertheless, the Gachis are continuing their efforts to preserve their tradition. The locals said the collection of juice from the trees will begin in a few days. The process of making molasses from the juice will continue until around the month of Falgun. Delicious date palm jaggery and molasses will start appearing in the markets at the beginning of winter.
Deputy Director of Chuadanga Department of Agricultural Extension, Md Masudur Rahman Sarkar, said a total of 272,000 date palm trees are being prepared for juice collection in the district. During the winter season, each tree yields an average of 10 kg of molasses. Based on this, the target for molasses production from these trees is set at 2,700 metric tons. He stated that there is always a high demand for molasses from this district across the country. This time, we hope to meet the local demand and ensure that date palm molasses finds its place in various regions of the country. Approximately 30,000 farmers are involved in this seasonal profession in the district.
