DATE PALM CULTIVATION IN BANGLADESH: FARMERS’ PRACTICES

Abstract

Studies were conducted during 2006-07 cropping season at Keshabpur upzilla (Jessore) to investigate the present practices of date palm plant cultivation and juice extraction, marketing of both juice and gur, per plant gross margins, constraints, economic potentiality etc. Studies reveal that farmers‟ do not apply fertilizer, irrigation and follow no methodical cultivation practices in the study area. It was also found that during last ten years farmers cut 5 plants per year, whereas planted 1.5 plants only. A farmer earned Tk. 750-850 per plant per tapping season (about three months) by selling juice. Cost of date palm gur (molasses locally called „gur‟) production was recorded Tk. 330.0 per plant of which 62 per cent was fuel cost. It was also observed that some farmers‟ used juice for gur production and found that approximately 23.1 kg gur plant -1 was obtained when entire juice was used for gur production. Gross return and gross margin were recorded as Tk. 688.4 and Tk. 358.4 plant -1 respectively. Return per Taka investment (variable cost basis) was found Tk. 2.08. Farmers sold approximately 30 per cent of their gur to direct village consumers. Constraints identified were very low or no juice secretion from some plants, fuel scarcity for gur making, lack of gachee (expert manpower for date palm cutting and juice tapping), increased wages for gachee for juice collection, low price of gur during season, poor marketing and storage facilities for both gur and juice, lack of improved production technologies for date palm cultivation etc. These constraints need to be resolved to increase date palm cultivation and gur production in order to meet increasing demand of sugar and gur in Bangladesh.