Bumper jute output likely in Jashore region

JASHORE, Aug 07 (BSS): Farmers are expecting a bumper production of jute during this season as harvesting of the fibre crop has already begun in all six districts of Jashore agriculture region.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers are now busy harvesting and rotting of jute plants in water bodies amid frequent rainfalls and also adopting latest ribbon-retting technology to ensure better quality of the fibre for high price.
Farmers are also hoping to get rewarding prices of jute fibre in local markets this year like prices between Taka 2,500 and Taka 3,000 per maund of the crop last season.
Additional director of DAE for Jashore region Agriculturist Dr. Md. Ekhlas Uddin said a target of producing 1.95 million bales of jute was fixed from 1,62,387 hectares of land in the region this season.
However, farmers have finally cultivated jute on 1,69,382 hectares of land, a target of producing 2.0 million bales of jute in the region, he said.
DAE sources said farmers have cultivated jute on 24,880 hectares of land in Jashore, 23,590 hectares in Jhenidah, 36,930 hectares in Magura, 41,673 hectares in Kushtia, 20,729 hectares in Chuadanga and 21,580 hectares in Meherpur districts of the region.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, other agriculture related departments and organizations extended necessary assistance to the farmers to make the jute intensive farming programme a success.
The government also provided high yielding varieties of quality jute seeds, training and inputs to farmers to enable them in expanding farming to increase production of jute for reviving past glory of the fibre crop, Agriculturist Ekhlas Uddin said.
Declaration of jute as a national agricultural product along with mandatory use of jute sacs in different sectors continues increasing demand for the fibre ensuring its fair price, he added.