The farmers are happy getting excellent market price of newly-harvested jute as harvesting of the fibre crop is nearing completion with better yield rate in all five districts under Rangpur region, reports BSS.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers completed harvesting jute on 45,018 hectares of land producing over 0.516 million (5.16-lakh) bales of jute with an average yield rate of 11.47 bales per hectare by the weekend.
The farmers have cultivated jute on 49,792 hectares of land this season when the recent floods damaged standing jute crop on 4,618 hectares of land causing production loss of 50,630 bales of the fibre crop worth Tk 240.02 million (Tk 24.02 crore) in the region.
"Earlier, the DAE had fixed a target of producing over 0.677 million (6.77-lakh) bales of jute fibre from 58,250 hectares of land for the region this season," said Agriculturist Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam, a horticulture specialist of the DAE at its regional office in Rangpur.
However, farmers had finally cultivated the crop on 49,792 hectares of land, less by 8,458 hectares of land or 14.52 per cent than the fixed farming target, this season in the region.
"After damages caused by floods, standing jute crop on 45,174 hectares remained unhurt for harvesting in Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts of the region this season,' Islam said.
The farmers already completed harvesting 'Tosha' variety of jute on 40,795 hectares to produce 0.475 million (4.754-lakh) bales of the fibre crop and local variety on 6,089 hectares to produce 33,556 bales of jute by August 21.
"Besides, they harvested 'Mechta' variety of jute on 186 heaters to produce 1,486 bales and Kenaf variety of jute on 510 hectares to produce 6,464 bales in the region,' Islam added.
Agriculturist ASM Hassan Sarwar, Rangpur District Marketing Officer, said farmers are selling newly-produced jute fibre at rates between Tk 1,600 and Tk 1,800 per mound (40-kg) depending on the varieties and quality of the fibre.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md. Moniruzzaman said the fixed jute farming target could not be achieved following cultivation of Aus rice and maize on more land area, shortage of locally-produced quality jute seed and other reasons.
To make jute farming programme successful, the DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation and other agriculture related departments and organisations extended necessary assistance to farmers.
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