SM Sumon Rashid:
During the winter season, there are some traditional nature scenes that are less similar to other seasons. Every upazila in Bangladesh has its own tradition. Be it food and drink, clothing or walking, something changes in every upazila. Similarly, Amtali is no exception. In Amtali upazila, the tradition of the arrival of winter is date juice and jaggery. Since ancient times, in every neighborhood, village, village of the upazila, there were many date trees around the house, on both sides of the road. There was no such family whose date tree was not seen near their house. More than 20-25 date trees could be seen in every house. The upazila’s tree growers would start collecting the juice at the beginning of winter. After 2 pm, the tree growers would start putting pots on the trees to collect the juice. Every village was filled with the sound of the tree cutters cutting down trees. In this way, the tree cutters would cut down trees until the evening. On the other hand, as soon as dawn broke, they would spend a very busy time collecting sap from the trees. They would burn this sap on fire to make jaggery, some would make porridge or porridge with the sap, and some would make various types of delicious pitha. They would sell small and large patalis or jhola jaggery made from the sap at the local market. Many people used to earn their living with the money from selling jaggery. However, the production of that traditional date juice and jaggery has now decreased compared to the past years. The traditional date juice and jaggery of the upazila is about to disappear.
Different markets:
A visit to different areas of Amtali Upazila has shown that jaggery is produced from date juice to a greater or lesser extent in almost all the unions of Amtali Upazila. Among which, farmers used to make more juice in Haldia, Atharogachia, Gazipur, Kukua, Kewabunia, Hazartaka Badhan, Arapangashia, Ghopkhali, Gulishakhali, Kalagachia, Fakirkhali, Gojkhali, Dalachara, Chawra, Ghatkhali and other unions. The jaggery market in Amtali Upazila is quite crowded every year. Buyers come here from different areas to buy jaggery. Many times, people from other districts can be seen stopping their cars on the way to buy jaggery.
Types of Jaggery:
From the beginning of cutting trees, the trees are cut every day in the afternoon. Early in the morning, the tree and its family members extract the juice from the trees and burn the juice to make delicious jaggery. In the heat of the fire, the color of the jaggery gradually turns golden, orange and finally red. Then, several names of jaggery are made with this liquid jaggery. Such as jhola jaggery, patali jaggery, khanda jaggery and cane jaggery. However, these jaggerys are not made in this upazila. They are quite available in the markets of this region. So you have to buy it from the market. Not make it.
Market price:
You can see a crowd of buyers and sellers in the jaggery shops. In different places of this upazila district, per pot of date juice is being sold for 250 to 300 taka. In the market, per kg of date jaggery is being sold for 150 to 500 taka. The amount of sugar mixed in the low-priced jaggery is very high. The sugar mixture in the high-priced jaggery is less.
Menaz, a jaggery farmer from Maitha village of Amtali union in Amtali Sadar upazila, said that even though everyone in his family has forbidden him from cutting trees, he is not stopping cutting trees. He does not consider this hardship a hardship. Because thanks to his efforts, the people of the area get to eat juice and jaggery. His jaggery goes to the country and abroad.
“I have been cutting trees and making jaggery for about 20 years. I sell pure jaggery.
I have been selling jaggery for about 20 years. People from different areas come here to buy jaggery. Everyone wants pure jaggery. We sell it at the same price as we buy it. We sell jaggery with a small profit per kg.”
Another jaggery trader, Musha Fakir, said, “It is difficult to get pure jaggery. If you get a good price, you can give pure jaggery. However, the trees have decreased a lot. Therefore, jaggery production has decreased a lot.”
Sabina Yasmin, a buyer at the Mitha Bazar in Amtali, said that Amtali Upazila has a tradition of date jaggery. I think the best jaggery in Bangladesh is produced in Amtali Upazila. Our jaggery in this region is very delicious. Due to the decrease in the number of trees and the high demand for jaggery, some unscrupulous traders are mixing sugar with jaggery and selling it.”
Amtali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Ashraful Alam said, we are trying to preserve the tradition of date palm molasses in Amtoli Upazila.
According to the Amtoli Upazila Agriculture Officer, the potential cultivated land of date palm trees in Amtoli Upazila in the 2023-24 fiscal year was 30 hectares, the number of date palm trees was 6,750, and the juice was collected.
Amtoli Upazila Senior Agriculture Officer Md. Icha said, date palm is a molasses tree and it has the potential to be profitable if cultivated commercially.
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