Processing of jute going on in Nilphamari

NILPHAMARI, July 27: Processing of jute is going on in full swing in Nilphamari district amidst acute labour shortage. Remuneration of a labour has gone up to Tk 400 per day as a result processing cost also gone up.
A long process is needed to get jute fibre for marketing and the jute farmers are now engaged in the process, which include cutting of jute plants from the farmland decomposing in water, separating the fibre from the stick, drying it and so on. In the meantime new jute has started to come in the markets. The price of new jute is hovering between Tk 1400 to 1500 per maund (40 kg) which is below the production cost.   
DAE sources said this year's target jute cultivation in the district is in 12587 hectares of land to produce 135074 metric tonnes out of which local variety cultivated in 1112 hectares of land to produce 9537 metric tonnes of jute and Tossa variety is in 11475 hectares of land to produce 125537 metric tonnes of jute.