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By Md Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, Jan 23, 2026 (BSS) - The date palm juice business has emerged as a highly profitable seasonal industry in Rajshahi, providing employment to thousands of people and significantly boosting the rural economy during the winter months.

Every year from late October, the extraction of date palm sap and production of jaggery begin in the upazilas of Bagha, Charghat and Puthia. Local gachhis (sap extractors) tap date palm trees, collecting sap overnight in earthen pots hung beneath carefully made cuts on the trunks.

The sap is either sold fresh or boiled immediately to produce patali gur (solid jaggery) and jhola gur (liquid jaggery). A single tree produces around 20-25 kilograms of molasses during the season.

In the early morning hours, sap collectors climb the trees to retrieve the filled pots. As the sap is boiled on large stoves, its sweet aroma spreads across the villages, marking the height of the winter harvest.

Muhammad Obaidul, a sap collector from Chakgochar village in Charghat upazila, said nearly 80 percent of villagers there are involved in the trade. He noted that while some producers mix sugar with sap to increase output due to lower sugar prices, pure jaggery fetches a higher price and enjoys strong demand, particularly through online platforms.

Last Wednesday at dawn, Muhammad Rana of Bhubannagar village in Puthia was seen collecting sap from leased trees. Two large jars were tied to his bicycle to transport the sap. "From the 52 trees I lease and collect about 60 litres of sap daily, which yields 10 to 11 kilograms of jaggery," he said.

In the same village, Roushan Ara, wife of Jalal Uddin, was boiling sap at their home. She said jaggery prices are high at the beginning of the season, selling at around Tk 160 per kilogram.

Saiful Islam Milu, a sap collector from Jormadanga village in Puthia, said most tree owners lease out their date palms as they lack the expertise to extract sap themselves. Lease prices range between Tk 500 and Tk 1,000 per tree for the season, and a collector typically leases between 30 and 100 trees.

The trade has become a boon for many families, bringing financial stability and improving living standards during the winter season. Rajshahi's Barind tract, along with roadside and field-grown date palm trees, supports extensive production.

Local residents said Charghat, Bagha and Puthia upazilas are particularly famous for date molasses. Weekly markets such as Baneswar Haat, Jhalmalia Haat, Puthia Haat, Charghat and Bagha serve as major trading hubs where jaggery is sold in large quantities.

Anisur Rahman, 57, an extractor from Halidagachhi village under Charghat upazila, said he owns 175 trees on six and a half bighas of land and earns around Tk 2 lakh annually on average.

He added that date palm trees provide sap, cooking fuel, molasses and other by-products, while locally produced jaggery is exported to several foreign countries, contributing to the rural economy.

Nasir Uddin, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said Rajshahi district has 1,108,018 date palm trees. "On average, each tree yields about 25 litres of sap, producing roughly 10 kilograms of jaggery," he said.

Since ancient times, date palm juice and molasses have remained popular winter delicacies, prompting many farmers to cultivate date palm trees commercially alongside other cash crops.