RAJSHAHI, July 17: Jute cultivation has marked a rise in the district in recent years.
In 2019, jute cultivation surpassed to 271 hectares of land than the target fixed by the Department of Agriculture Extension in Rajshahi.
This year jute was cultivated on 13,846 hectares of land as against the target of 13,575 hectares. Last year the golden fibre was cultivated in 12,825 hectares of land, DAE sources said.
Abdul Wadood, additional deputy director of DAE, Rajshahi said jute demand is increasing across the world. Environment-friendly polythene is being prepared from jute and its diverse use is increasing continually.
Harvest has started in the district recently. Some farmer said per hectare production of jute is satisfactory because there was no pest infestation in jute fields this year.
According to DAE, Rajshahi, in 2016 jute was cultivated on 13,622 hectares of land, in 2017 it increased to 13,700 hectares, in 2018 jute was cultivated on 12,825 hectares which was 875 hectares less than that of the previous year but this year jute cultivation has exceeded the target.
Abdur Razzak, a jute farmer of Sreepur village under Paba upazila, said he cultivated jute on two and a half bighas of land this year. There will be no problem with wetting the jute sticks because there was sufficient rain fall this year.
He further said labour cost for harvesting jute on one bigha of land, wetting and removing fibres from jute sticks is costing Tk 3,000. Moreover, there was an acute shortage of labourers as well.
Meanwhile, BSS adds: In Manikganj, harvest of jute has begun in the district with much enthusiasm.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said a total of 3748 hectares of land were brought under jute cultivation this year.
Deputy Director of DAE Habibur Rahman Chowdhury said Tosha variety is cultivated on 2,956 hectares of land with a production target of 40,061 bales.
Local variety was produced on 776 hectares of land with a production target of 6093 bales and Kenaf variety has been produced on16 hectares of land with a production target of 253 bales of jute.
Seeds, fertilisers and insecticides were supplied in due time to farmers in addition to necessary training.
Ali Hossain, a jute producer of Charigram under Srinagar upazila, said soil of Singair upazila is very much suitable for jute cultivation.