NAOGAON, Sept 13: Cultivation of jute is in a gradual decline in the district as it has been proved less profitable than other crops these days.
Sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Naogaon said a total of 6,010 hectares of land have been brought under jute cultivation in all eleven upazilas of the district this year.
Jute farming has declined by 2,850 hectares of land in Naogaon in last five years.
Every year, cultivation of the golden fibre is decreasing by 570 hectares on an average, the sources added.
According to some local farmers, cultivation of jute is expensive as it needs hard labour, more expenses and production may decline drastically as a result of bad weather during the early days of farming.
Vegetable farming is more profitable than jute cultivation as it is secure in terms of profit.
Apart from this, price of the crop varies year to year and sometimes production cost cannot be recovered by the cultivation, the farmers observed.
One Ataur Shah of Naogaon sadar upazila alleged that although jute is one of the major cash crops in the country, the DAE in the district has no specific plans to expand its cultivation.
The government should also take up special incentive programmes for the farmers in order to encourage them in jute cultivation, he said.
Shamsul Wadud, deputy director of Naogaon DAE, said, "We have necessary plans regarding jute cultivation, but the peasants here are turning away from jute farming due to higher labour cost and uncertainty in prices."
Rise in the prices of winter vegetables and paddy is another reason behind farmers' apathy towards jute cultivation in the district, Mr Wadud added.
