Sugarcane farming
Promote modern technologies to boost production
BSS
AJSHAHI: Successful promotion of modern technologies is very vital to boosting sugarcane production in the region including its vast Barind tract to meet its gradually mounting demand, reports BSS.
Modern technologies developed by Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute (BSRI) can be effective means of boosting sugarcane farming and its production as suggested by sugarcane scientists and researchers.
Mosharraf Hossain, Senior Scientific Officer of BSRI, told BSS that the region has enormous prospects of boosting sugarcane yield to expected level, but the potentials couldnt be exploited due to multipurpose constraints.
In this context, he said all the 10 sugar mills in the countrys northwestern region are incurring huge loss due to lack of adequate sugarcane.
He recommended crop-rationing system so that the conventional crop diversification could be sustained. He, however, said the sugarcane production is gradually being reduced after failing to compete with some other major crops and vegetables.
Mosharraf Hossain stated that the nation has now been producing hardly 3.5 lakh tonnes of sugar against the demand of around 12 lakh tonnes. But, he attributed that the sugar has vital role in the mental development of the young generation along with economic development of the nation.
In this regard, he said per 100 ml sugarcane juice contain 90.2g water, 0.1g protein, 0.2g fat, 9.1g carbohydrate, 0.4g mineral, 10mg calcium, 10mg phosphorus, 1.1mg iron, 6microgram carotene, 0.04mg riboflavin and 39 kilocalorie food energy.
We have enormous prospect of getting the protein through substantial enhancement of the cash crop production that can help reduce family level protein deficiency, Hossain added. He added that regular in-taking of sugar or molasses side by side with rice and other nutritious foods is very essential for human being especially the children for developing their intelligence power.
Hasanuzzaman Madhu, chairman of Sardaha Union Parishad in Charghat Upazila in Rajshahi, underscored the need for ensuring a balanced atmosphere in the crop farming system for food security.
In this context, he put importance on the need for surviving of all the potential crops including the cereals and sugarcane for the sake of surviving the sugar mills. BSRIs Principal Scientific Officer Dr Abdur Rashid mentioned that 40 high yielding sugarcane varieties along with other necessary modern technologies have so far been innovated.
In this context, he said importance is being given to disseminating and transferring those among the farmers.
Inter-cropping with sugarcane has been found as more beneficial to the farmers as it can boost total crop production per unit area coupled with ensuring sustainable sugarcane cultivation with higher economic benefit compared to other crops.
