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Date juice disappearing from Barishal, Laxmipur

Published : Saturday, 12 December, 2020 at 12:00 AM  Count : 228

A  juice extractor trimming a date tree in Agailjhara of Barishal.	photo: observer

A juice extractor trimming a date tree in Agailjhara of Barishal. photo: observer

Due to the decrease of date trees, the number of date juice extractors has been reduced in Barishal and Laxmipur districts.
BARISHAL: Date tree and date juice are disappearing from Agailjhara Upazila of the district.
Once, there were numerous date trees in most of the roadsides, pond banks and along farm lands of the upazila. With the beginning of the winter, extractors would be busy with collection of juice. The demand for date juice was huge. Cake and other food items would be made of date juice in celebration manner. Extractors were booked previously. Then none would be deprived of juice. Cheer time would prevail during the winter season. Especially, the delight of the extractors would know no bound. In collecting juice they would be highly busy. Festivity would prevail everywhere.  
According to sources, due to burning of date trees in brickfields, absence of commercial farming and lack of overseeing, the bearer of this village tradition is missing.
Wood is being burnt in most of the brickfields in Barishal and other districts. These kilns are collecting wood from this upazila. Date tree is being burned largely for its higher burning capacity.
Locals sought necessary measure in this connection from all conscious sections.
RAIPUR, LAXMIPUR: Extractors are showing less interest in trimming date trees in Raipur Upazila of the district.
Earlier, with the ending of Agrahayan to the beginning of winter until Chaitra, villagers would remain busy with date juice and sweetmeat. They would make cakes and different delicious dishes with date juice as new year's best gifts.
Date juice extractors in this area are called "gachhi". With changing time, common people's lifestyles are changing. So, the traditional culture is missing as well. Village tradition and culture are getting mired in ill culture.
Huge numbers of date trees got destroyed due to cyclones Sidr and Aila over this region. Besides, the existence of date trees has been diminished because of burning date trees in brickfields.
Scarcities of date juice and molasses of this region have been created.
Extractors in Kamalnagar, Ramgati, Char Ramani, Shak Char, Tumchar, Raipur, Laxmipur Sadar and other areas would collect date juice from thousands of trees. But for the last nine to ten years, the date juice has not been availed due to lack of extractors. As a result, village people are being deprived of date juice.
Even several years back, inhabitants in Haiderganj, Char Bangshi and Shak Char would celebrate the New Year with cakes and other food items made with date juice. Now they are being deprived of that seasonal celebration. Entertaining guests with date juice items in the southern region is getting phased out.
One extractor Abdul Matin of Char Beacons area, who was found busy in trimming date tree, said, in the absence of date trees, the winter charm is set to go disappearing from villages.
Another Taju said, "As I have no tree, I have to trim other's tress. The tree owner takes juice of three days and I take  juice of one day. It does not cover my labour wage. But to taste the seasonal juice, we can't quit it."
Raipur Upazila Agriculture Officer Mostafa Hasan said, date juice and sweetmeat of the upazila are popular. Due to lack of extractor and consciousness, growers are shifting away from this profession.









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