Cultivation of HYV sugarcane Q-16 sees gradual increase in Gobindaganj upazila under the district as the soft variety, chewed with relative ease, sells for much higher prices than that of local varieties.

Its demand has highly increased, especially amid the prolonged heat wave this year.

Many farmers in Gobindaganj upazila traditionally cultivate ordinary local varieties of sugarcane for supplying to Rangpur Sugar Mills at Mohimanganj in Gobindaganj upazila but the mill authorities often pay low price, leading to gradual reduction in sugarcane cultivation, said Rajab Ali, a grower.

A decade ago, a few people of Bakchar village in Gobindaganj upazila started cultivation of Q-16, locally called 'chewing sugarcane', and now its cultivation has spread to several other villages in the area, even in some places of Mokamtola in Bogra district. 

"Ten years ago, I started cultivating chewing sugarcane on two bighas of land and earned Tk 15,000 to 20,000 per bigha after covering the production cost. Now the demand and price have multiplied," said Montaz Ali of Bakchar.

Seeing his success, some 20 farmers of the village started cultivation of the high yielding variety sugarcane within next two years. By this time, its cultivation spread to adjoining ten villages including Kamadaha, Kalitola, Mastha, Nayapara Chawghaia, and Panthapara.

Now the farmers are using modern technology for growing Q-16 sugarcane and they earn Tk 65,000 to 70,000 from a bigha of land, spending Tk 20,000 to Tk 25,000 for inputs, said Altaf Hossain, another grower.

The HYV cane Q-16 has created an opportunity to earn better from the same area of land, several growers said, adding that wholesalers often procure the crop from fields with their own carrying cost.

Agriculture officials are encouraging farmers to cultivate Q-16 sugarcane for better gains, said AKM Ruhul Amin, deputy director, the Department of Agriculture Extension, Gaibandha.