Online Desk: Rajshahi Sugar Mills Limited (RSML) and Natore Sugar Mills Limited (NSML) began sugarcane crushing on Friday afternoon simultaneously setting a target of manufacturing 8,400 tonnes of sugar during the current 2023-24 financial year.

Officials concerned said the two mills set a target of crushing 1,23,000 tonnes of sugarcane.

RSML Managing Director Abul Bashar said that there are 3,500 acres of sugarcane fields in the current season as target has been set to manufacture 2,700 tonnes of sugar after crushing 45,000 tonnes of sugarcane in 32 working days.

There is also another target of producing 2,400 tonnes of molasses during the current season.

Abul Bashar said necessary measures were taken to make their mill profitable as it has bright prospects of boosting sugar production through increasing sugarcane farming in the region.

Local varieties are being replaced by the high yielding and more sugar enriched sugarcane varieties.

This year, both sugarcane farming acreage and the number of farmers have increased besides raising the selling price of sugarcane simultaneously.

“We are supplying fertilizer, seed and insecticides among the farmers timely to inspire them towards sugarcane farming,” said Shahinul Islam, General Manager (GM) of RSML, adding they are holding meetings and farmers gathering regularly to attain the cherished goal.

He said they are purchasing sugarcane at Taka 180 per maund this year.

Islam said they are planning to install a mango processing plant and bottled mango drinks factory at RSML aimed at increasing its income.

They have formulated a five-year roadmap incorporating the ways and means to sustain the mill effectively.

Factory building and other installations will be renovated and repaired in addition to modernization of the machinery. Byproduct-based industries will be established for the sake of crop diversification under the roadmap.

NSML’s Farid Hossain Bhuiyan on Saturday said they have set the target of producing 5,700 tonnes of sugar through crushing 78,000 tonnes of sugarcane in 54 working days this season.

He said the government has stepped up different efforts to make the sugar industry a profitable organisation.

He added that the government also has a plan of refining raw sugar during the off season.

Farid Bhuiyan also said the government has raised the purchasing price of sugarcane, to ensure its fair price at growers’ level, for the welfare of the farmers.