Zakia Sultana, Secretary, Ministry of Industries, said that Bangladesh’s sugar industry will be turned around soon as the government is trying to increase production and reduce imports as per instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Innovating high yielding sugarcane and providing technical support to sugarcane growers, increasing the price of sugarcane and providing other incentives to the farmers are encouraged to cultivate sugarcane again, she said.
She said this while talking to reporters after visiting the manifestation field at Mubarakganj Sugar Mill in Jhenaidah District and the field of Carew & Co (Bangladesh) Limited at Darshana in Chuadanga District under Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industry Corporation (BSFIC), said a press release here.
The government has taken several steps to take forward this promising industry and model project of BAT Bangladesh is one of them, she said.
She said, under this program, with the help of Bandhu Seva App, Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industry Corporation through SMS, more than 65,000 sugarcane farmers stored in the app’s database are being informed about what to do and weather related information immediately.
BSFIC jointly with BAT Bangladesh has set up demonstration sugarcane field on 30.25 acres.
BSFIC chairman Md. Arifur Rahman Apu, British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh side chairman Golam Moin Uddin, sugar mill officials and local sugarcane farmers were present, among others.
(BSS)