Jute production target exceeds by 15pc

Farmers have achieved an all-time record output of over 7.93 lakh bales of jute exceeding the fixed production target by around 15 per cent in Rangpur agriculture region this season.

Market sources said newly harvested jute is being sold at between Tk 3,300 and Tk 3,500 per maund (every 40 kg) depending on varieties and quality of the fibre enabling farmers to reap excellent profit.

Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials said on Monday that the government had fixed a target of producing 6, 89,368 bales of jute from 58,520 hectares of land in the region this year.

“However, farmers had finally cultivated jute on 56,412 hectares of land, less by 2,108 hectares against the fixed farming target this time,” said Agriculturist Bidhu Bhusan Ray, Additional Director of the DAE, Rangpur region.

Of them, farmers had 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 in Nilphamari districts.

“After completing harvest of jute last week, 7, 93,235 bales (1, 43,948 tonnes) of the fibre was seen to have been yielded in the region exceeding the fixed production target by 1, 03,867 bales or 14.97 percent this season,” he said.

Farmers have also got an excellent yield rate of 14.06 bales (2.55 tonnes) per hectare on an average.

“Last year, farmers produced 5.18 lakh bales (94,086 tonnes) of jute fibre from 45,349 hectares of land in the region with the average yield rate of 11.51 bales (2.09 tonnes) per hectare of land,” Ray said.

The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Jute Research Institute and other organisations provided assistance, training and technologies to farmers for enhancing jute farming this season like the previous years.

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

“Farmers had cultivated high yielding varieties of jute on more lands though the fixed target marked a little shortfall due to crop diversification and cultivation of Aush rice and maize on more lands this year,” Ray added.