THAKURGAON, Sep 01, 2025 (BSS) - The sugarcane plantation program for the 2025-26 season was formally inaugurated at Thakurgaon Sugar Mills today.

The plantation activities began with the farmland of growers Shahjahan Ali and Sirajul Islam in Hariharpur, Sadar upazila, under the initiative of the mill authorities.

Encouraging local farmers, an inaugural discussion meeting was held on the occasion.

Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) Chairman and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Industries, Rashidul Hasan, virtually joined the meeting and officially launched the nationwide sugarcane planting season and addressing sugarcane farmers and sugar mill officials across the country, including those in Thakurgaon. 

The meeting was presided over by Thakurgaon Sugar Mills Managing Director Md. Shahjahan Kabir and the chief guest was BSFIC Technical Services (TS) Chief Agronomist Manjurul Haque. 

Among others, General Manager (Agriculture) Tajurul Islam, General Manager (Finance) Saiful Islam, General Manager (Factory) Nurul Amin of the mill, Central Sugarcane Growers Association Adviser and former Upazila Chairman Yunus Ali, President of Thachik Workers' Union Abdul Quddus, General Secretary Abdullah Al Mahmud Khan Ratan, including Bangladesh Sugar Industry Workers Federation Executive Member Ruhul Amin. More than a hundred local sugarcane farmers were present.

Speaking at the meeting, mill authorities noted that once farmers turned away from sugarcane cultivation, the prospect of fair prices had once again made it an attractive crop.

This season, sugarcane plantation target within the mill zone has been set at 6,500 acres of land, with a crushing target of 90,000 metric tons of cane and sugar production estimated at 5,670 metric tons.

Last year, sugarcane was cultivated on 6,060 acres, but this year the acreage has increased. For the 2025-26 crushing season, the mill gate procurement price of sugarcane has been fixed at Tk 600 per quintal. However, growers demanded that the price be raised to Tk 800 per quintal.

Chief Guest Manjurul Haque assured farmers that the process of revising sugarcane prices upward is already under consideration.