Low jute price frustrates Bogura, Sirajganj, Chandpur farmers
OUR CORRESPONDENTS | Tuesday, 28 November 2023
The jute growers of Bogura, Sirajganj and Chandpur districts have no smiles this year as they are not getting its fair price in the rural markets.
Our Bogura Correspondent reports, despite several efforts of the government, farmers of Bogura and Sirajganj district are losing their interest to cultivate jute on their arable lands due to lack of appropriate prices.
Farmers of the region alleged that, the price of jute has reduced at least Tk 800 to Tk 900 per mound this year compared to the last year. In contrary, the production cost has doubled due to constant rising of seed, fertiliser and pesticide prices.
On the other hand, traders of wholesale market are facing risk of losses after purchasing jute due to reduction of export. In this circumstance, many farmers in the area are now thinking about to avert jute cultivation in future.
The measure of jute cultivation has comparatively reduced in the region. Though, the officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) have been trying to inspire farmers to cultivate jute on their cultivable lands by providing incentives, the cultivation target was not achieved constantly in the last two years.
In Sirajganj, similarly in the district, jute cultivation target was not achieved last year. Only 11,167 hectares of land was brought under cultivation against a fixed target of 13,050 hectares of land. Some 30,676 tonnes of jute was produced from the district.
Farmers of the area complained that, they are not getting reasonable prices from jute market that making them disappointed. They can not recoup the production cost. Per mound of jute based on quality is now being sold between Tk 1400 and Tk 1600, while a mound of jute was sold between Tk 2500 and Tk 2800 last year.
Farmers said that they are compelled to spend Tk 15,000 to Tk 18,000 against producing jute on a bigha of land. Due to rising cost of irrigation, labourer, fertilizer and pesticide, the jute production cost has increased compared to earlier.
Abdul Hannan, a farmer of Dhunat upazila in Bogura district said, "I spent Tk 36,000 to produce jute on 3 bighas of land. I got 35 mounds of jute from those lands. Now, per mound of jute is being sold at Tk 1300 in local market that pushing me to incur loss.
Motlubur Rahman, Deputy Director of DAE in Bogura said, "If the measure of jute export increases, the farmers will get good prices. However, we are trying to encourage farmers to cultivate jute by providing incentives."
According to the data of DAE in Bogura and Sirajganj, jute cultivation has declined in the region compared to the previous years. This year, farmers have brought 10,690 hectares of land under jute cultivation against the target of 12,634 hectares of land fixed by DAE in Bogura. DAE also set a target of producing 30,517 tonnes of jute.
In the last fiscal year (FY), about 11,167 hectares of land was brought under jute cultivation, while 30,676 tonnes of jute was produced.
Our Correspondent from Chandpur says, farmers in the district are frustrated over the low price of jute.
Farmers of the region alleged, they are getting Tk 1600/00 per maund of jute in the rural market whereas they spent Tk1500/00 for each maund of jute. Last year they got around Tk 2500/00 or 3000/00 per maund of jute. With regrets, they said in the weekly markets, they are not getting due price of jute this year as the market price is far below the production cost.
According to them, now, a maund of jute is sold at Tk 1600 to the middlemen whereas they had to spend Tk1500 per maund for growing a maund of jute. Besides, a day labourer was paid Tk 500 as wages for a day. So, being frustrated, most of them have kept their jute in stock at home and not bringing jute for sale to the weekly village markets.
When contacted, Chandpur Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Mobarak Hossain said, "So far jute has been cultivated on 3693 hectares of land in Chandpur district while about 6332 metric tonnes of jute was grown".
Mizanur Rahman, 45, a jute farmer of Bakila village in Hajiganj upazila said, "We grow jute for getting good price but this year we are frustrated because their jute was being sold at Tk 1200 or 1300 per maund at the famous Bakila Bazar in Hajiganj upazila whereas the farmers had to spend Tk 1400/500/00 for each maund of jute".
He further said, "For want of enough rain water in the canals, we could not rot their jutes in time too and so the quality of jute is not so good and that's why, the price is lower than expectation".
Last year, they got fair price of jute, he added.
Year after year, the jute farmers are incurring loss and so they are turning to potato production for good profit-Mobarak adds referring to jute farmers' financial problems.