RAJSHAHI, Aug 25, 2022 (BSS)- Farmers are happy as they are getting
satisfactory yield and market price of jute everywhere in the region during
the current season.

Rafiqul Islam, 45, a resident of Devipur village under Durgapur upazila in
the district, has harvested around 12 mounds of jute fibre from two bigha of
land.
 
In the initial stage, he sold his products at Taka 3,200 per mounds in local
markets, saying the current price is higher compared to the previous seasons.

Apart from this, he g0t jute sticks worth around Taka 6,000 from the farming.

Bazler Rahman, 38, another farmer of Roipara village under the same upazila,
has sold his jute at Taka 3,000 per mound, saying the return has mitigated
all his sufferings and financial crises faced before the selling.

Rahman said many of the enthusiastic farmers were seen humming towards the
Durgapur and Taherpur markets with dry jute riding on trolleys and human
haulers.

He, however, said the jute fiber is being sold at Taka 2,800 per mound during
the last couple of days.
 
Like them, many other farmers expressed their happiness over the expected
yield and price.

Meanwhile, harvesting of jute is progressing fast everywhere in all eight
districts under Rajshahi division in the current season with a prediction of
better yield amid the present favorable climatic condition.
 
Currently, most of the growers along with their family members are very much
engaged in harvesting, decomposing, segregating and transporting for selling
of jute, generating seasonal job opportunities for many people, including the
marginalized and ethnic minorities.

Jute farming has exceeded target this season as interest among the growers to
the cash crop farming is seen increasing everywhere in the division including
its vast Barind tract.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set a target of producing
around 14.53 lakh bales of jute from 2.22 lakh hectares of land in the
division during the current season.
 
Target has been set to produce 5.60 lakh bales of jute from 48,827 hectares
of land in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Natore districts under
Rajshahi Agricultural Zone, while 8.93 lakh bales from 77,986 hectares of
land in Bogura, Joypurhat, Pabna and Sirajganj districts under Bogura
Agricultural Zone.

Officials and farmers are very much hopeful about harvesting better jute
yield in the country's northwest region this season.

Farmers are very much interested in jute farming as they are getting
lucrative prices for its produce during the last couple of years giving a
message of getting back to the golden era of the cash crop in near future.

Abdur Razzaque, a farmer of Shreepur village under Paba upazila, said jute's
golden era has started returning back.

He said the role of private jute mills and the government's declaration about
the mandatory use of jute bags in packaging public food grains boosted jute
cultivation.

Last year, the initial market price of jute was Taka 1400 to 1500 per mound.
But, finally the price stood at Taka 5,200-5,500 per mound, he said.

Razzaque mentioned the price could have been more if there were no syndicate
of middlemen and traders. He sought government intervention in controlling
the syndicate to facilitate the farmers to get fair prices.

He said farmers got fair prices of jute during the last couple of years and
as a result, they are now eager to cultivate more jute.
 
DAE Additional Director Shamsul Wadud said jute farming has started getting a
brighter dimension through increasing its production and adopting other
effective measures.

The farmers have started adopting the latest line sowing jute technology
using seeders machines saving huge seed and reducing farming costs and
ribbon-retting method to get quality fiber and more profit.

Wadud said necessary measures are being taken for making the farmers
habituated in promoting high yielding jute varieties for boosting its
production.