GAIBANDHA, July 29 (BSS)- Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has taken up a programme to popularize the Ribbon Retting Method in farmers' level to separate ribbon from the jute sticks and to rot those in the holes properly to get desired golden fiber.

Office sources said a total of 75,000 jute cultivators would be brought under this programme and they would be provided with 7500 ribbon retting machines; need base training, equipments, financial help and technological support from the department.

Under this method, the raw ribbon will be separated from the
sticks through ribbon retting machines. Then, the separated
ribbon will be kept under the water of polythene scattered big
hole to decompose those properly, said an official of DAE.

In this process, there is no necessary of water body like
pond, canal, and ditch and seasonal rain to rot the ribbon and to
separate it from the sticks. Some decomposed water and a little
urea fertilizer are used in the hole to rot the ribbon quickly,
sources said.

On Tuesday afternoon, a motivational meeting organized by
Fulchhari Upazila Agriculture Office on this method was held on
the premises of Udakhali High School of the upazila in the
district with farmer Sadrul Islam in the chair.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer M. Jahidul Islam attended the function
and addressed it as the chief guest.

Upazila Agriculture Officer M. Yousuf Rana Mondal in his
speech elaborately briefed the farmers about the method and said
a total of 8,025 jute growers of the upazila would be provided
with need base training and Tk 200 each side by side with giving
them ribbon machines from the department free of cost.

Later, the farmers curiously witnessed how to separate the
raw ribbon from the jute sticks through ribbon machines and to
keep those under the water of a big hole for decomposing.

A large number of farmers, public representatives and local
elite including upazila level officials participated in the
meeting.

Talking to BSS Deputy Director of DAE M. Qurban Ali said in
many of the places of the district the jute cultivators are to
face difficulties for rotting their harvested jute for want of
sufficient water in the water bodies.

This method can help the jute growers get golden fiber
smoothly and properly with minimum cost, he also said.