Buyers from across the country are crowding Sarojganj Bazar on Fridays and Mondays as the molasses of this region are said to be the best in flavour and taste. The trading goes on from dawn to dusk during the two days of the week.
This time, according to many buyers, the price is a bit higher than previous years due to the huge demand for molasses.
Abdullah Sheikh, president of the market committee, told UNB, “Wholesalers from different districts of the country, including Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Rajshahi flock to this bazaar here to buy molasses.”
Around 250-300 tonnes of molasses, worth of Tk two crore, are being traded each day, Abdullah added.
While visiting the market recently, this UNB correspondent found thousands of earthen jars of liquid molasses and cane-baskets filled with molasses bars, popularly known as ‘Patai’, lined up all over Sarojganj Secondary School ground.
Each of the jars is selling at Tk 900-1000 while one basket at Tk 700-800. Once the deal is done between the buyer and the seller after hard bargaining, the jars are loaded in trucks, and the buyers leave the bazaar in groups.
Many retail customers were seen buying molasses for their families and relatives.
Imran Ali Mondol of Hanurbadari village in the sadar upazila said, “Most of the molasses sold here are homemade ones and as those are produced on the yards of hundreds of farmers of nearby Gurni area.”
He further said, “They don’t add any sugar or chemical to their products. Though some of the molasses are light brown ones, these are surely pure.”
Tabarak Hossain, a businessman from Rajshahi, said, “In comparison with other local markets, we found the products of this area cheaper and better in quality. We don’t buy those sugar-mixed molasses. We come here to buy the best molasses.”
Mansur Ali, a farmer of Kutubpur village in Sadar upazila, said the prices of date molasses started going up right at the beginning of the current season.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, there are some 3.75 lakh date trees in this upazila alone.
Sadar Upazila agriculture officer Talha Jubair Mashroor said at least 10-12 kg of molasses can be made from the juice of each tree, which means around 3,500 tonnes of molasses are produced here every year.