Yield, price make Rajshahi jute farmers happy

Farmers are happy as they are getting satisfactory yield and market price of jute everywhere in Rajshahi 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 bighas of land.

In the initial stage, he sold his products at Tk 3,200 per mound in local markets, saying the current price is higher compared to the previous seasons.

Apart from this, he got jute sticks worth around Tk 6,000 from farming.

Bazler Rahman, 38, another farmer of Roipara village under the same upazila, has sold his jute at Tk 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 hauliers. He, however, said the jute fibre is being sold at Tk 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 the Rajshahi division in the current season with a prediction of better yield amid the present favourable climatic condition.

Currently, most of the growers along with their family members are very much engaged in harvesting, decomposing, segregating and transporting for selling jute, generating seasonal job opportunities for many people, including the marginalised and ethnic minorities.

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

Department of Agricultural 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 the 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 products 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. 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 Tk 1400 to 1500 per mound. But, finally, the price stood at Tk 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.