Home ›› 29 Aug 2022 ›› Nation
Although local markets in the Faridpur district, better known as the hub of jute production, have been buzzing with the presence of buyers and sellers, the smile on the faces of jute growers is fading due to the low prices their yield is fetching.
People involved with jute purchases say that the reason for not paying higher is the discoloured fibre they are getting, as the jute plants were not decomposed properly.
Jute growers have started appearing with their fibres at different local markets in several upazilas including Saltha, Nagarkanda and Boalmari of the district for the last few days. But they are in a sombre mood due to the low price they are getting, which is often short of their production cost during what is the peak season of jute.
The jute growers claimed that they had to count an extra cost for the process of retting that they must put the jute plants through this year, using underground water lifted by shallow machines that run on diesel.
The district’s Kanaipur Hat is one of the famous local markets for the sale and buying of jute fibre, which sits on Tuesdays and Friday weekly. Marginal growers bring their fibres to bag good money at the market which abounds with several jute buying centres of government and private jute mills.
Visiting the market, this correspondent found that a maund (about 40 kg) of jute fibre has been sold for Tk 2,200-2,800 which was Tk 2,500-4,000 last year. However every year the market witnesses the sale and buy of 20,000 to 25,000 maunds of jute during the season.
Sources in the district’s Department of Agricultural Extension said the production target has been set at 2,50,000 metric tonnes of fibre on the 87,000 hectares of land this year.
Jute growers Sattar Matubbar, Kalam Molla and Jiten Sarkar, who brought their goods to the market, told this correspondent that they are frustrated at the price offered by the buyers.
The production cost of jute plants increased due to scarcity of water this year as they had to manage alternative ways to decompose these.
