Bad omen for jute growers
Farmers in Jessore and Narail districts started early jute harvest hoping to get higher prices and cultivate this season's Ropa-Aman paddy in the same field.
But the hopes of many have already faded as the golden fiber is being sold here at prices lower than that of last year's.
Still the fibre is coming to the local markets. While visiting the markets a few days ago, this correspondent found that each maund of raw jute is being sold at Tk 1,200 to 1,400 which is around half of last year's prices for all varieties.
This season, the farmers of the two districts cultivated jute on 53,410 hectares (29,050 hectares in Jessore and 24,360 in Narail) of land as against the target of 52,993 hectares (33,730 hectares in Jessore and 19,269 in Narail) while the production target set by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) was 2,46,599 bell (5 maund = 1 bell).
As jute was sold at Tk1800-2800 per maund last year, its cultivation this season was viewed by the farmers as more profitable than other crops in the region.
Several farmers said last year's higher prices and scope to cultivate Ropa-Aman on the same land encouraged them to harvest jute early although they usually reap it between late August and September.
Ropa-Aman paddy cultivation period starts July 1 and harvesting starts on October 15. So, the farmers are harvesting jute to prepare their land for planting paddy.
The jute production target is likely to exceed this year as farmers are expecting to get 35 to 40 maunds (one maund = 40 kg) per acre (100 decimals) while the cultivation cost for each acre stood at Tk 30,000, DAE sources said.
While visiting different areas, this correspondent saw a festive mood all around as the farmers and their family members including wife, sons and daughters were engaged in processing jute.
A farmer at Rajnagor village of Sharsha upazila under Jessore district said, "A labourer has to be paid Tk 400 per day while the harvest needs other processing too to make it ready for marketing. If proper price is not fixed, farmers would be deprived and discouraged."
Somir Biswas, a farmer at Bahirdanga village under Sadar upazila in Narail said, "I sold 37 maunds of jute at Tk 1,400 per maund. The price is too disappointing compared to my production cost."
Dr Sunil Kumar Roy, regional project manager of Second Crop Diversification Project in Jessore region, said bumper production of jute in the region is one of the reasons for dropping of price. The government should buy green jute at a fair price from the farmers to keep them in good spirit, he added.
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