KHULNA, Aug 19, 2023 (BSS)- Harvesting of jute, the golden fibre of

Bangladesh, is progressing fast in four districts under the region during the
current season.

The region is widely known as "jute-producing region" of the country.
The cultivation of jute has been increasing every year here and the growers
are getting fair prices for their products.

Officials of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) told BSS that the
jute cultivators are expecting satisfactory output as they are getting better
yielding rates in everywhere of the region.

"Jute growers are not facing any problem or barriers for rotting their jute
plants as all the natural water bodies including canals, beels, rivers and
haors in the rigion are now full of water due to widespread rainfall for the
last fortnight," the official said.

Farmers could cultivate jute on 38,840 hectares of land in four districts-
Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira and Narail--with the target for producing around
4.40 lakh bales of jute.

Farmers are producing 16,111 tonnes bail jute on 1,398 hectares of land in
Khulna, 25,165 tonnes bail jute on 1,944 hectares of land in Bagerhat,
1,28,012 tonnes bail jute on 11,853 hectares of land in Satkhira and 2,70,140
tonnes bail jute on 23,645 hectares of land in Narail, they added.

Meanwhile, jute growers have completed cutting of 75 percent of jute plants
in the region and have drowned those in different water-bodies for rotting
the jute plants and collecting jute fibers, Mohon Kumar Ghosh, additional
director of the DAE in Khulna region, said while talking to BSS today.

Farmers could run their jute cultivation networks successfully as the weather
condition was favorable and the different state-run agencies including BADC,
BCIC ensured supply of improved quality seeds and fertilizers to the door-
steps of the cultivators following directives of the government, he said.

Apart from this, the corps specialists and field workers of the DAE here
rendered their field-level service to let the jute growers know the modern
methods of jute cultivation and boosting jute production reducing the
production costs, he informed.

"Seventy-five percent of jute plants have already been harvested so far, and
the rest of the jute plants will be harvested within a week," the DAE
additional director said, adding that the newly-produced jute fibers will
appear in different hat-bazers and markets of the districts during the
period.

"Seventy percent of the jute is used in manufacturing the domestic products
and the remaining 30 percent of raw jute and jute products are being
exported. Yarn, bags, sacks, curtains and carpets are being made from jute.
The leaves of jute plant are eaten as vegetable," he said.

He, however, said jute bags have become alternative to polythene bags which
are responded by most other countries of the world. Besides, jute plants on
one hector of land absorb 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide and emit oxygen 11
tonnes.

Besides, jute also makes the soil fertile by mixing up jute leaves with it.
So, importance should be given to jute cultivation.