Photo: BSS

Shahjahan Naveen

JHENAIDAH, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS) - The sale of date palm jaggery has surged across Jhenaidah district with the onset of the Bengali month of Magh, as farmers report better quality production and favorable prices compared to previous years. 

Large quantities of jaggery produced in the district are now being supplied to Dhaka and other districts and cities of the country.

Safdarpur Bazar of Kotchandpur upazila has emerged as the largest date jaggery market in the district. The market, held every Saturday and Tuesday on the Safdarpur playground beside the railway line, witnesses transactions worth Taka 70–80 lakh each market day, according to local sources.

From around 11.00 am, marginal farmers and growers from nearby areas bring their homemade jaggery to the market using bicycles, motorcycles, vans and engine-driven vehicles. As the day progresses, traders from distant areas also arrive, making the market increasingly crowded.

The Safdarpur market offers a wide variety of date jaggery, including jhola jaggery, granular jaggery, jiren raser jaggery and patali jaggery. Due to its reputation for quality, wholesale traders from Khulna, Jashore, Natore, Pabna and Dhaka regularly visit the market.

Local gachhi and jaggery seller Ashraful Islam told BSS that the market has a long history. “I heard from my grandparents that traders once came here by train to buy jaggery. Even now, buyers from different districts come here, which helps us get fair prices,” he said.

According to the District department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the district currently has about 1,42,235 date palm trees across its six upazilas, of which around 1,12,760 are suitable for juice extraction. The department has set a target to produce approximately 48.11 million litres of date palm juice and 872 metric tons of jaggery during the current winter season.

DAE officials said the jaggery produced in the district is regularly supplied to the capital and other major cities, meeting both local and national demand.

Nazmul Hossain of Dora village said a jar of jaggery weighing 10–12 kilograms sells for Taka 1,300 to Taka 1,800 depending on quality. “Traders examine the jaggery carefully before buying. Ordinary buyers also come here directly for better prices,” he said.

Jaggery buyer Taslima Khatun Gini from Solemanpur village said she prefers purchasing directly from the market. “I send jaggery to my daughter in Dhaka and my brother-in-law in Khulna every winter. Buying from the market is cheaper and ensures good quality,” she said.

Wholesale trader Ujjal Kumar Saha said that adulteration is rare in Safdarpur market. “Farmers bring pure jaggery here. That is why traders like us regularly buy from this market and supply it across the country,” he said, adding that production and prices are both good this year.

Abul Kashem Babu, lessee of the Safdarpur Jaggery Market, expressed concern over the gradual decline of date palm trees. “This market is 35–40 years old. If the government supports the preservation and plantation of date palm trees, jaggery production will increase and contribute more to the national economy,” he said.

Deputy Director of DAE Md Kamruzzaman said Kotchandpur upazila has the highest number of date palm trees in the district, leading to the establishment of the large jaggery market in Safdarpur. “If plantation and proper care of date palm trees are increased, jaggery production will rise further,” he added.