The New Nation - Internet Edition

Joypurhat Sugar Mill likely to achieve sugar production target

JOYPURHAT, Dec 29: Joypurhat Sugar Mill may achieve the target of sugar production this season due to sufficient supply of sugarcane. The mill, which has started sugarcane crushing on November 23, has set a target to produce 12,950 mts of sugar crushing 1.75 lakh mts of sugarcane during the current 2007-08 crushing season. The recovery rate has been fixed at 7.40 percent. Some 2,984 mts sugar was produced in the mill from 46,770 mts sugarcane in 31 working days till December 24. Sugarcane was cultivated on 16,000 acres under the Joypurhat Sugar Mill zone area and its production was satisfactory. Though heavy rainfall damaged sugarcane field on 100 acres in the district but could not damage the fields cultivated in mill Zone area. The contract growers of the mill are expecting to produce three lakh metric tons of sugarcane. In this situation, the mill authority said they wouldn't have to face any sugarcane crisis for sugar production. But the authority could not say anything about the profit as the mill incurred a huge loss even after producing 3,000 mts sugar more than the target last season as the government reduced the price of sugar to Tk 25 per kg, reports UNB.

Woman killed in road mishap

JHALAKATI, Dec 29: An unidentified woman was crushed under the wheels of bus at Shitepakia in Nalchhiti Upazila on Jhalakati-Barisal road Wednesday. Local people said the speedy bus ran over the woman early in the morning, killing her on the spot. The bus driver, however, managed to escape. Police recovered the body and said the woman was mentally handicapped. A case was filed, reports UNB.

One killed in road mishap

NARSINGDI, Dec 29: A man was killed and 19 others were injured when a minibus plunged into a roadside ditch at Baroitola in Shibpur upazila on Dhaka-Sylhet highway early on Thursday morning. Police said 20 passengers were injured when the minibus fell into the ditch after being hit by a bus at about 7AM. The injured were admitted to Shibpur upazila health complex where Kawser Bhuiyan, 28, died later, reports UNB.

Farmers expect good harvest of mustard seeds in Jhalakati

JHALAKATI, Dec 29: Farmers are expecting a good harvest of mustard seeds this season even after the cyclone Sidr extensively damaged vast croplands of the district. Officials of Department of Agricultural Extension said farmers of the district have cultivated the crop on 800 hectares this season and are expecting to produce 800 mts mustard seeds. Farmers said they have sowed seeds on the land before the Sidr hit the district but the cyclone could not damage the fields, as the mustard was cultivated on high lands. Nurul Islam Talukder of Ramchandrapur village in Sadar upazila has cultivated mustard seeds on his 60 decimals of land. He said, "I have cultivated mustard seeds for earning a handsome profit." Salam Biswas of the same village, who has cultivated lentil as second crop with mustard seeds on one acre of land, said he has spent Tk 1500 to cultivate his land and is expecting to earn a net profit of Tk 5,000, reports UNB.