BSFIC targets planting 15,000 trees at sugar mills
The Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) has launched a tree-planting initiative at its sugar mills alongside the 2026–27 sugarcane planting programme at Kanta Agricultural Farm in Setabganj.
The initiative began today (6 September) with the planting of improved sugarcane varieties and various tree saplings at the farm as part of the government's programme to plant 25 crore saplings, according to a press release.
BSFIC Chairman Md Shamsuzzaman Suruj inaugurated the programmes in the presence of members of the corporation's board of directors and senior officials.
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The corporation has set a target of planting 1,000 trees at each of its 15 sugar mills during the 2026–27 financial year, taking the total to 15,000.
Speaking at the event, Shamsuzzaman said sugarcane cultivation could help protect the environment because the crop can absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
As sugarcane remains in the field for an extended period, it could also help prevent soil erosion and reduce environmental risks, he said.
The chairman said sugarcane by-products, particularly bagasse and molasses, could produce renewable energy and organic fertiliser.
Sugarcane cultivation could therefore support the development of both the sugar industry and a green economy, he added.
Shamsuzzaman said large-scale tree planting in hills, cities, villages, along roads, at educational institutions, in coastal and char areas, and on public forest land could help address climate change and reduce flood and drought risks.
He added that intercropping with sugarcane could enable farmers to generate additional income from the same land.
Expanding sugarcane cultivation around sugar mills could also create rural employment and strengthen local agricultural economies, he said.
Other speakers stressed the need to expand sustainable agriculture alongside tree-planting initiatives to build a more environmentally friendly Bangladesh.
They said planting trees at industrial sites and expanding sugarcane cultivation at Kanta Agricultural Farm could contribute to the country's green cover and agricultural economy.
