Jute processing suffers setback for dearth of water in canals

RANGPUR Aug 12:  Jute processing at different upazilas in the district is seriously being hampered due to dearth of adequate water in the water bodies of the region.

Jute was cultivated on 12,650 hectares of land in 8 upazilas under the district during the current season. Harvesting of jute is going on in full swing across the region and the farmers are quite satisfied with the yield they have achieved so far, DAE sources said.   

But the farmers have become worried as they are not able to process raw jute by rotting, as water bodies have almost dried up because of scarce rainfall during the last couple of months. As a result a huge amount of jute are getting dry.

Nazrul Miah (45) at Char Nazirdaho area under Kawnia upazila told FE that he cultivated jute on 3 bighas of land this year and got expected yield but now he is facing problem in rotting the crop owing to shortage of water in the water bodies caused by inadequate rainfall, he added.

Aziur Rahman (55) of Chowdhurypara village under Taraganj upazila in the district told the FE he cultivated jute on 2 bighas of land during the current season.  Presently harvesting is going on of the produce but he is facing serious problem in rotting jute due to lack of sufficient water. He also expressed apprehension about the quality of the golden fibre.    

Though the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) took an initiative to introduce ribbon retting system, a technology for rotting jute plants with less water to get quality fibre but inadequate training and reluctance of the farmers the method is yet to get popularity among them, sources added. It is also alleged that due to lack of measures for its promotion the method has not become successful among the local farmers.  

Deputy Director of DAE Rangpur Feroz Ahmed said they are trying to make the technology popular among the farmers by providing adequate training and equipment. It may take time to adopt the technology by each and every farmer, he added.

According to DAE official sources, DAE supplied ribbon retting machines among the farmers of the region for ensuring better quality of jute. But the farmers are not eager enough to use ribbon retting method, sources alleged.

Despite scarcity of water they are still adopting traditional method of jute rotting, and so, they are not getting satisfactory quality of jute and deprived of its fair prices, sources further said.