Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Sept 01: Though the production of jute has been decreased due to unfavourable weather in Rajshahi this year, farmers were happy with their harvest because of a satisfactory price in the local markets.
Sources said demand of jute has been increased following the government's direction to use mandatory jute bags in carrying food grains. Some jute mills established in private sectors were also playing a vital role in purchasing of jute and making of jute bags.
Farmers of Rajshahi informed, during the sowing season of jute seeds, there were intermittent rainfall which created water logging at the low lying areas. As a result, farmers failed to sow jute there and the cultivation of jute was decreased to 8,000 bighas of land this year.
However, who had sowed jute seed later on, got a good harvest due to sufficient rainfall during the monsoon. The farmers said, nearly Tk 9,000 is spent for cultivation of jute in a bigha of land.
The production of jute was eight to 12 maunds in a bigha.
The present market rate of jute is Tk 1,700 to Tk 2,000 per maund whereas the price was Tk 1,300 to Tk 1,500 last year. As a result, farmers were earning a good profit by selling jute this year.
Jute farmers, however, think the price of jute would further increase had there been no middlemen and the syndicate of the jute traders. They were demanding to the government to fix the price of jute at the harvesting season of jute.
Jaidur Rahman of Karnahar village under Paba upazila said this year he cultivated jute on two bighas of land though he wished to cultivate jute on more land, he failed to do so because the early rainfall had made water logging in the fields.
Due to production of jute in small amount of land, the price of jute was satisfactory this year.
According to sources of Department of Agriculture Extension in Rajshahi, jute was cultivated on 12,725 hectares of land in the district this year as against the target of producing on 13,915 hectares of land. Last year, jute was produced on 13,945 hectares of land.
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