Farmers getting better prices of jute in Rangpur

Farmers are happy to get better prices of jute as harvest of the fibre crop is nearing completion in all five districts of Rangpur agriculture region this season.

According to market sources and farmers, the newly harvested jute fibre is being sold at rates between Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,400 per mound (every 40 kg) depending on varieties and quality of the fibre.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said the government had fixed a target of producing 6, 89,368 bales of jute from 58,520 hectares of land for the region during the current season.

The target included production of 6,45,936 bales of Tosha variety jute fibre from 54,100 hectares of land, 34,928 bales of Deshi variety from 3,560 hectares, 2,628 bales of Mechta variety from 360 hectares and 5,875 bales of Kenaf variety from 500 hectares of land.

The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI) and other organisations provided assistance, training and technologies to the farmers for enhancing jute farming this season. However, farmers have finally cultivated jute on 56,412 hectares of land, less by only 2,108 hectares of land or 3.60 percent against the fixed farming target for the crop.

Of them, farmers have cultivated jute on 9,197 hectares of land in Rangpur, 16,460 hectares in Gaibandha, 19,980 hectares in Kurigram, 4,075 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 7,000 hectares of land in Nilphamari districts of the region.

“So far, farmers have harvested jute on 35,838 hectares of land and produced 4, 84,609 bales of the fibre crop at an average yield rate of 13.52 bales per hectare,” said Agriculturist Bidhu Bhusan Ray, additional director of the DAE, Rangpur region.

The government provided high yielding varieties of quality jute seeds, training and inputs to the farmers to enable them in expanding cultivation and enhancing production of jute for reviving past glory of the fibre crop.

Farmers have cultivated high yielding varieties of jute on more land areas though the fixed target for jute farming marked a little shortfall due to the crop diversification and cultivation of Aush rice and maize on more land areas.