High yield, good price make jute growers happy

But they face problem in processing fibre due to scanty water

11 August 2009, 17:00 PM

Star National Desk

Farmers cutting mature jute plants from a profusely yielding field at Paach Bikramhati village in Tangail Sadar upazila but they are worried about carrying them to a distant water body for rotting. Photo: STAR

Jute growers in Tangail, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts are happy as the areas see good yield and high prices of the item this year. However, the farmers are facing problem about rotting and processing the fibre as water bodies lack necessary water in absence of adequate rain. The farmers in Tangail have got good production as weather was favourable during the cultivation period, reports our Tangail correspondent. Jute plants grew up to 10 feet to 12 feet high as there was necessary rain in the last week of March and necessary dry weather followed. Jute was cultivated on 15,165 hectares of land in 12 upazilas of the district this year. The cultivation target, however, was 18,000 hectares. “I have got five maunds of jute from 20 decimals of land this year whereas last year I got only two maunds from the same land. We the jute growers of two villages are rotting our jute in a small water body in the area which contains some water," Abu Hanif of Pachh Bikramhati village under Sadar upazila said. Soenuddin Master of Tarabaria village under Tangail Sadar upazila expects at least nine maunds of jute from 40 decimals of land this year. "However, I shall have to spend more labour cost for carrying the jute to other place for rotting," he said. Haripada Ghosh, deputy director of Agriculture Extension Department (AED) in Tangail, said, “We have introduced ribbon method among the jute growers as an alternative for decomposing jute. We are holding motivational programmes to make the farmers aware about it.” Meanwhile, jute fibres started coming at local markets including Karatia, Soya-Palima, Hamidpur and Jamurki-Pakulla while brokers are going door to door to the farmers to buy the fibre. “I have already sold three maunds of good quality jute fibre to a broker at Tk 1,400 per maund," farmer Yaad Ali of Poulee under Kalihati upazila said. Our Thakurgaon correspondent adds: Jute was cultivated on 6,300 hectares of land against the target of 6,000 hectares with the production target of 60,000 bales in Thakurgaon, AED officials said. In Panchagarh, jute was cultivated on 6,000 hectares of land against the target of 5,789 hectares with the production target of 57,000 bales, said Abul Hayat, deputy director of Panchagarh AED office. Farmers and AED officials said tosha variety of jute covered about 85 per cent of cultivated land and the quality of harvested jute is good. Now jute harvesting is running in full swing and depending on quality, each maund (one maund is equal to 37.32 kg) of raw jute sells from Tk 1100 to Tk 1250 in the local markets. The price is higher than the previous year, market sources said. However, the farmers are facing problem to rot jute plants as the current rainy season sees scanty rainfall. With good return due to increasing demand in the local markets during the last couple of years, farmers in these districts are getting interest in jute cultivation again. “I cultivated jute on two bighas [one bigha is equal to 0.33 acre] of land in this season and got 17 maunds of raw jute, spending Tk 7,000. I sold the produced jute at Tk 19,550. I hope to sell jute sticks for Tk 4,000. My net profit will stand at about Tk 16,000,” said Ruhul Amin, a farmer of Vimpukuri village under Boda upazila in Panchagarh. “Environmental awareness is developing worldwide. Following ban on polythene bags, demand for environment-friendly and diversified jute goods is increasing at national and international markets. This is the time for regaining the lost glory of our golden fibre,” said Golam Sarwar Choudhury, vice president of Thakurgaon Chamber of Commerce and Industries. If the government extends help for spreading jute cultivation, jute-based industries will revive and the country will earn a lot of foreign exchange by exporting jute and jute products, he said.