Bumper jute output likely in Jashore region

Farmers are expecting a bumper production of jute during this season as harvesting of the fibre crop has already begun in all six districts of the Jashore agriculture region.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers are now busy harvesting and rotting of jute plants in water bodies amid frequent rainfalls and also adopting the latest ribbon-retting technology to ensure a better quality of the fibre for a high price.

Farmers are also hoping to get rewarding prices of jute fibre in local markets this year like pleasing prices between Tk 2,500 and Tk 3,000 per mound of the crop last season.

Additional director of DAE for Jashore region Agriculturist Dr Md Ekhlas Uddin said a target of producing 19.48 lakh bales of jute was fixed from 1,62,387 hectares of land in the region this season.

However, farmers have finally cultivated jute on 1,69,382 hectares of land, a target of producing 20.32 lakh bales of jute in the region, he said.

DAE sources said, farmers, have cultivated jute on 24,880 hectares of land in Jashore, 23,590 hectares of land in Jhenidah, 36,930 hectares of land in Magura, 41,673 hectares of land in Kushtia, 20,729 hectares of land in Chuadanga and 21,580 hectares of land in Meherpur districts of the region.

The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, and other agriculture-related departments and organizations extended necessary assistance to the farmers to make the jute-intensive farming programme a success.