The jute farmers of Bera upazila in Pabna are relieved and happy because of the good price of jute this season. As compared to last year, the price and demand of jute is higher this year, the jute farmers of this region are able to take home the extra profit after settling the cost of cultivation. Due to the lack of jute in the houses of small and medium jute farmers, the import of jute is decreasing in every market. The farmer has reached the final stage of selling his jute produce. The jute of the farmer's house is going to the warehouse of the storekeeper. The jute retailers take the lion's share of profit from the jute produced by the farmers.
In the last few years, the demand and price of jute in the domestic and international market is high, the jute farmers of Bera upazila have grown jute in more land this season than last season. Jute farmers in Bara Upazila have returned to their houses with encouragement and solvency due to the bumper yield of jute and desired price. As the number of buyers is more than the sellers, the demand and price of jute is increasing in the area. Due to favorable environment, demand, expected market price, Payna, Chakpara, Bangabaria, Barshila and upazila Chakla, Panchuria, Khanpur, Aminpur, Bandherhat, Trimohni and some others including Dhallarchar, Bengaliachar, Charnakalia of Char region cultivates jute this year.
Montej Ali Pramanik, a jute grower of Aminpur Union who came to sell jute at Bara C&B market, said that he has been cultivating jute for several years due to the increase in the demand for jute and the price of jute. He has been cultivating jute for the last three years as the maintenance of the tree is less than other crops and there is no disease outbreak, but due to lack of timely rains in this season, there is no water to separate fibre in the canals, and the jute plants are drying up and producing good quality jute. Since the demand and price of jute was high from the beginning, there was no loss, he said.
Talking to Siddique Ali of Panchuria village of Chakla Union who came to sell jute in the market, it is known that he cultivated jute on his 2 bigha land, the jute plant was growing and the tree was very thick but due to lack of rain, it was too late to cut jute due to lack of canal water for rotting jute. . Finally, due to the desired rainfall and sufficient water for rotting jute, it has become possible to obtain better quality fiber from the jute plant. I kept some jute for my own usages.
Every year jute is cut and Amon paddy is planted on the same land, but this year due to delay of about 1 month, Amon paddy will not get good yield. However, Chan Mia, a jute farmer of Charpechakola village, who came to sell jute at Nakalia market, hopes that there will be no excessive flood. Majed Molla, jute farmer of Bandherhat, said that we have benefited in the past years by planting Aman paddy immediately after cutting jute on the same land, but due to lack of rain this year, it was late to plant Aman paddy. Mozammel Haque of Andharmanik village of Shahjadpur upazila, who came to sell jute at the market, said that due to the lack of water in the canal, after cutting the jute from the land, it was not possible to harvest the jute in time and because the jute plant dried up, no good quality jute fiber was found. All the fibers collected are of SMR grade. Gholam Sarwar, a well-known jute trader, said that the jute fibers of Pabna and Bera-Santhia regions in the northern region are of high quality. Tosha jute cultivation is maximum in this region and sea bottom is high in quality fiber. Fence jute has a reputation for exporting raw jute (flakes) abroad. Due to lack of timely rainfall this year, jute plants withered due to drought and yield of good quality jute fiber is very low. The price and yield of jute this year is higher than last year. Jute farmers are benefiting as a result. The quantity of good quality sea bottom fibers that can be exported abroad is comparatively less.
At present, it has been seen that the work of removing jute from jute thorn and jute stalks and jute trees has been completed by 95 percent. Farmers are now busy drying jute sticks in the sun and taking them home. This year, the price of jute is higher than the previous year, which has brought a smile to the face of the farmer.
Bara Upazila Agriculture Officer Nusrat Kabir said that more jute has been cultivated in about 150 hectares of land this season than the target level. This year our jute cultivation target was 3,300 hectares. Due to the high demand and market price of jute in the past, the jute farmers of Bera have cultivated jute in 3 thousand 450 hectares of land this season. The target of jute production in this season was 8 thousand 771 metric tons, the target will be exceeded as a result of bumper production.
As the soil is suitable for jute cultivation in this region, there is no disease and the weather is favorable for jute cultivation, there has been a bumper yield of jute this season.
Due to lack of timely rains, there is not enough water in the area, the farmers are facing problems in jute ginning at the beginning of the jute ginning season, but the Department of Agriculture has advised the jute farmers to process jute in modern methods. Due to drought, the farmers have to harvest jute late from the land.
When asked about the deterioration of jute fiber quality, he said that SM is always done in fiber grading, the amount of excess is very small.
