The market price of the newly-harvested jute has brought smile on faces of farmers in Bogura this season. Farmers are getting satisfactory prices compared to that of last five years.
At the beginning of the jute-harvesting season last year, jute sold at a price of Tk 2,000 to 2,200 per maund. Later, it reached Tk 3,000, and at the end of the season, the price of jute rose to Tk 4,000. The Department of Agricultural Extension informs that the average price of jute last year was Tk 3,000.
This year, the farmers are happy to get the price of jute as they are selling each maund of the produce at Tk 3,000 to 3200 in the local markets while Tk 2900 to 3000 in the wholesale markets across the region. The jute cultivation is also increasing in tandem with it.
This has created an opportunity to regain the lost glory of the once-famous golden fiber. Jute cultivation in the region is on the rise as farmers are reaping good prices, according to DAE.
The target of cultivating jute this current season was 12,017 hectares of land in the area that has been exceeded. Jute was planted on 15,140 hectares of land in the district, finally. The production target was set at 29,000 metric tonnes this time. So far, the output has exceeded 31,000 metric tonnes.
Jute is mainly grown in Sariakandi, Sonatala, Dhunat and Gabtali upazilas in the district commercially. Apart from Tosha, Kenap and Mesta, another native variety of jute is cultivated. However, the cultivation of Tosha-variety jute is the most.
Farmer Arun Kumar Das said that the value of jute is increasing again in their area. Other farmers like him also said that they are happy with the profit made from jute cultivation this time.
"At present, most of the wholesale traders are buying jute from the farmers directly," he added.
Abdul Karim, a jute trader, said that he has been trading in jute for about 10 years. He bought jute from the market and sold it to the agent of the mill owner. At the very outset of this year the farmers are getting good price of jute.
Deputy Director of DAE Dulal Hossain said, "The farmers are returning to jute cultivation with interest as they are getting satisfactory price and yield. More than 20000 hectors of land would be brought under jute cultivation next year."
