Growers demand quality jute seeds, facility for retting
Monday, 25 October 2010
FE Report
Jute farmers at a meeting held in the city Sunday demanded supply of high quality seeds, water for jute cultivation and retting of the fibre, ban on import of low quality seeds and more jute purchasing centres.
Syed Ahmed, a jute farmer of Faridpur said, "Most of the time we don't get quality seeds and face crisis of water during the plantation period in the absence of rainfall in time due to change of weather."
Jute farmers also urged the government to sell seeds and fertiliser through Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) so that farmers do not fall prey to unscrupulous businessmen and start purchase of jute by the mills from July.
The jute farmers who came from different parts of the country made the demand at a discussion on, "Tale of Sorrows behind Jute Plantation: Statements from Growers" held at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the city Sunday.
Industries Minister Dilip Barua was the chief guest at the discussion arranged by Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) in collaboration with Nagorik Sanghati.
Dilip Barua said the government does not want import of low quality seeds and assured the jute farmers of providing them high quality ones.
He said, "The production of jute is high this year and a maund of jute is selling at Tk 2000 to Tk 2500. The government is actively considering reopening of all the closed jute mills including Adamjee Jute Mills."
He said the government has taken initiative to ensure better management in the jute purchasing centres. "We'll provide fund timely to the jute purchasing centres so that farmers don't face any difficulty."
Director General of Bangladesh Jute Research Institute Md Kamal Uddin said, "This year the government has distributed around 4.0 tonnes of jute seeds and provided 15000 Ribbon retting machines to the farmers in 171 upazilas of the country with a view to accomplishing the task with a little amount of water."
Shahidullah Chowdhury, a labour leader, urged the government to include jute as a subject in curriculum so that the jute mills get proper human resources at administrative level as well as can provide training to the workers.
Ziaul Hoque Mukta, the moderator of the discussion and member secretary of CSRL said, "The government has recently finalised a packaging law that will boost local consumption of the golden fibre."
"At the same time, we can introduce a rule making it mandatory to import all sorts of goods to Bangladesh with jute packaging which will also help boost consumption of Bangladeshi jute in the world market."
Jute farmers at a meeting held in the city Sunday demanded supply of high quality seeds, water for jute cultivation and retting of the fibre, ban on import of low quality seeds and more jute purchasing centres.
Syed Ahmed, a jute farmer of Faridpur said, "Most of the time we don't get quality seeds and face crisis of water during the plantation period in the absence of rainfall in time due to change of weather."
Jute farmers also urged the government to sell seeds and fertiliser through Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) so that farmers do not fall prey to unscrupulous businessmen and start purchase of jute by the mills from July.
The jute farmers who came from different parts of the country made the demand at a discussion on, "Tale of Sorrows behind Jute Plantation: Statements from Growers" held at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the city Sunday.
Industries Minister Dilip Barua was the chief guest at the discussion arranged by Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) in collaboration with Nagorik Sanghati.
Dilip Barua said the government does not want import of low quality seeds and assured the jute farmers of providing them high quality ones.
He said, "The production of jute is high this year and a maund of jute is selling at Tk 2000 to Tk 2500. The government is actively considering reopening of all the closed jute mills including Adamjee Jute Mills."
He said the government has taken initiative to ensure better management in the jute purchasing centres. "We'll provide fund timely to the jute purchasing centres so that farmers don't face any difficulty."
Director General of Bangladesh Jute Research Institute Md Kamal Uddin said, "This year the government has distributed around 4.0 tonnes of jute seeds and provided 15000 Ribbon retting machines to the farmers in 171 upazilas of the country with a view to accomplishing the task with a little amount of water."
Shahidullah Chowdhury, a labour leader, urged the government to include jute as a subject in curriculum so that the jute mills get proper human resources at administrative level as well as can provide training to the workers.
Ziaul Hoque Mukta, the moderator of the discussion and member secretary of CSRL said, "The government has recently finalised a packaging law that will boost local consumption of the golden fibre."
"At the same time, we can introduce a rule making it mandatory to import all sorts of goods to Bangladesh with jute packaging which will also help boost consumption of Bangladeshi jute in the world market."