Atrai:With the arrival of winter, the activity of collecting date palm sap has started in Atrai of Naogaon. To collect this delicious sap, gachis (sap collectors) are now moving from one date palm tree to another. Starting from noon, they begin hanging earthen pots (hari) on the date palm trees and remain busy with this task until evening.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, although this is winter sap, this time gachis have become active in collecting sap early. There are thousands of date palm trees on roadsides, in courtyards, and on field embankments in various villages of the 8 unions of the upazila. What has caught attention are the date palm trees along the railway line beside the Naogaon-Natore regional highway.
Gachis have started collecting sap from about 300 date palm trees on both sides of the railway line from the Atrai Railway (old) Station northward to Mahadighi. At one time, local gachis used to collect sap from these date palm trees, but now local gachis are no longer seen. Therefore, every year gachis come from Bagha and Arani areas of Rajshahi and Lalpur area of Natore to collect sap from these trees. This sap is used to make delicious lali (liquid molasses) and gur (jaggery).
After meeting local demand, this gur is also marketed in other districts. Like previous years, this year too, three gachis including Moazzem Hossain from Khayerhat village of Bagha upazila in Rajshahi and two gachis including Abdul Islam from Kachua village of Lalpur upazila in Natore have started collecting sap. Moazzem Hossain mentioned they collect sap from about 200 date palm trees including those along the Atrai railway line and from the crack of dawn they boil the sap to make lali and gur.
Abdul Islam stated that collecting date palm sap is a risky job and requires special experience, especially when boiling the sap to make lali or gur. Despite the hardships, they continue this profession to meet family expenses. Upazila Agriculture Officer Prosenjit Talukder emphasized that date palm trees are profitable and beneficial for farmers if planted and cared for extensively.