RAJSHAHI, Oct 1: State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam has asked the farmers to raise sugarcane cultivation with optimum uses of the existing natural resources for survival of sugar industries in the region.
"The government was pledge bound to protect the sugar industries as large number of people are with the industry," he told a gathering of sugarcane growers organized by Rajshahi Sugar Mills Authority at Salua Sugarcane Purchasing Centre under Charghat Upazila in the district.
Shahriar Alam said the government has been working relentlessly to bring diversification in the country's sugar industries as it can't survive merely depending on sugar production.
He directed the authorities concerned to take prudent steps to make the state-owned sugar mills profitable ones.
Sugar industry plays an important role in the economy of Bangladesh by way of farming and creation of employment.
But Bangladesh is now producing hardly 0.35 million tonnes of sugar yearly against the demand of around 1.2 million tonnes.
The sugarcane production is gradually being reduced after failing to compete with some other major crops and vegetables , according to a report by BSS.
Around 425,000 acres of land are under sugarcane and the annual production is about 7.5 million tonmes, of which only 2.28 million tonnes are used in sugar mills and the rest goes to molasses making.
