Two sugar mills in Joypurhat and Dianjpur districts are going to start their cane crushing season next week in spite of large stocks of unsold sugar in their warehouses.

Joypurhat Sugar Mill, probably the country's largest and burdened with 9,109 metric tones of unsold sugar, will start its operation on December 12.

Meanwhile, Setabganj Sugar Mill in Dinajpur will also start its operation on December 19 with 8,417 MT unsold sugar. 

The authorities of the two mills have been facing acute space crisis due to the previous year's stock of unsold sugar worth Tk 68.66 crore, said officials.

This year, our production target is 7,975 metric tonnes, which is less than that of last year's, said the officials of Joypurhat Sugar Mill.

The situation will further deteriorate during the upcoming cane crushing season as the authorities are already facing trouble with huge quantity of unsold sugar, they said. 

Abdus Salam, managing director of Joypurhat Sugar Mill, said sugar worth Tk 35 crore remained unsold as the dealers did not draw their allotment. However, he declined of make any further statement on the matter.

Salary disbursement and payment to cane growers become irregular as the unsold sugar led to the mill's fund crisis, he said.

Afzal Hossain, president of Joypurhat Sugar Mill Workers' Union, said mechanical upgradation and other modernisation are needed to cope with the consumers' demands.

He also urged the government to take initiatives for marketing the sugar.

On the other hand, officials of Setabganj Sugar Mill in Dinajpur said this year's sugar production target was set at 4,000 metric tonnes.

Shahid Ullah, managing director of the mill, said there will be an acute accommodation crisis at the end of cane crushing season. 

aThe mill incurred around Tk 200 core loss since its starting in 1933, said sources.