Jute farmers optimistic of getting fair price

Farmers in eight northern districts including Nilphamari have started harvesting jute.
As the quality of harvested jute is good till now, the farmers have been expecting fair price of their produce this season. There is adequate water in canals, ponds and rivers to rot raw jute.
Sources in Rangpur regional office of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said this year jute was cultivated in 70,000 hectares of land in Rangpur, Dinajpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Nilphamari.
Of them, Tosa variety of jute covered 80 percent and local variety covered 20 percent. The official production target was 5,25,000 bales in the eight districts. DAR officials are still optimistic of fulfillment of the production target.
Last year, jute was cultivated on 60,000 hectares of land in the eight districts. Farmers cultivated jute on more 10,000 hectares of land this year as they got good price of jute last year.
Sources in different jute markets in the eight districts said a maund (40 kg) of local variety of jute is being sold at between Tk 400 to 450 while Tosa variety of jute at between Tk 500 to 600. High quality jute is being sold at Tk 700 in the areas.
Last year, farmers got the highest Tk 850 for each mound of jute according to class.
Abdul Hye, a farmer at Salongram village in Jaldhaka upazila said he cultivated Tosa variety of jute on two acres of land and got 28 maund of raw jute. He sold it at Tk 15,400 in Jaldhaka markets. He also said he sold jute sticks at Tk 8,000 this year. 'I got a total of Tk 23,400 by selling jute and jute sticks,' he said. 'I produced jute on two acres of land at Tk 18,000,' he said. 'I earned a net profit of Tk 5,400', he said.
Last year he earned much more profit by selling a maund of Tosa jute at between Tk 800 to 850.
Iqbal Bashar, a landowner at Chandonbari village of Boda upazila in Panchagarh said jute farmers are likely to be benefitted this season by selling jute directly in markets.
Rangpur Regional Jute office additional director (AD) Abul Kashem said eight jute mills have sought permission to open 10 jute purchasing centres in 5 districts of greater Rangpur.
The mills are Amin Jute Mills, Crescent Jute mills, Delta Jute Mills, Latif Bawani Jute Mills, Platinum Jute Mills, UMC Jute Mills, Bangladesh Jute Mills and Aleem Jute Mills.
Of them Latif Bawani Jute Mills and UMC are willing to open two jute purchasing centre each and the rest six mills would open one centre each.
Sawkat Ali, additional director of Dinajpur regional jute office said three jute mills, Amin Jute Mills, Karim Jute Mills and Eastern Jute Mills have sought permission to open three purchase centres in two districts of greater Dinajpur.
Meanwhile, some jute purchasing centres have celebrated lucky purchase already.
The additional director of Rangpur region jute office Abul Kashem expressed his optimism saying jute price might rise further as soon as all the mills start purchasing jute. He said at present the farmers are getting fair price of jute.