Higher costs, lower prices discourage Kurigram, Lalmonirhat jute farmers
Farmers in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts are losing interest in jute cultivation due to rising production cost and lower selling price.
Each maund (40 kg) of jute fibre is being sold at Tk 1,900 to 2,300 in the market. Jute farmers this year expected better prices, but they are getting the same rate as the previous year.
Due to the long-term flood situation this year, the farmers also did not get their expected yield.
However, the Department of Jute Development claimed jute growers are not losing interest and that the department is working to make sure the farmers are benefitted from jute cultivation.
According to the jute development department in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts, a total 20,720 acres of land in Kurigram was used in jute cultivation with the production target of 96,617 belts (1 belt = 180 kg), and 14,800 acres of land in Lalmonirhat with the production target 69,155 belts.
The department recorded production of six maunds from each bigha of land. About 30,000 farmers have cultivated jute in the two districts this year.
"There is no benefit for farmers in jute farming. The cost of production has increased a lot but the output and price have not increased. From each bigha of land, the farmers get 3-5 maunds of jute against a production cost of Tk 7,000-8,000. We are not getting satisfactory prices from selling jute in the market," said Hamidul Islam (58), a farmer from Gokunda village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.
"A decade back, I used to cultivate jute on 12-15 bighas of land. This year I cultivated on four bighas of land and got 15 maunds of jute, spending Tk 32,000 as production cost. Each maund was sold for Tk 2,200, hence I barely made any profit," he added.
"We still cultivate jute since we need jute fibre and jute sticks. I cultivated jute on eight bighas of land last year but on three bighas only this year. Next year I will probably cultivate jute on one bigha land," said Babu Roy (65), a farmer from Kulaghat village in Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila.
"If farmers could fetch a price of Tk 2,800-3,000 for each maund of jute, then they will be interested in cultivating jute again," he added.
"We now cultivate jute only for jute sticks which reaps some profit. By selling the produced jute fibre, the cost of production is somehow raised, but hardly any profit," said Safiar Rahman, 60, a farmer from Gunaigach village in Kurigram's Ulipur upazila.
Nader Ali, 58, a farmer from Ramna village in Chilmari upazila of Kurigram, said they did not get expected jute yield this year due to long-term flood situation.
Abdus Sattar Mia, jute development officer in Lalmonirhat, however claimed to The Daily Star that farmers are not losing interest and instead they are becoming interested in jute cultivation.
To motivate the farmers in jute cultivation, they are being given free seeds and fertilisers, he said, adding "If the production is good, the farmers will benefit from selling jute in the market."
"Farmers have been disappointed that they did not get much expected yield this year due to the flood. However, various steps have been taken to make them interested in jute cultivation. Farmers will definitely benefit from jute cultivation if they can produce jute fibre using best quality seed and following the rules of Jute Development Department," said Taibur Rahman, jute development officer in Kurigram.
"We are working on to motivate farmers in jute cultivation and bring this sector to its former glory," he added.
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