Due to the lack of rain in Dinajpur, the farmers are not getting water for retting jute, and they fear that the yield of jute will decrease due to drought. Due to the water crisis during the full monsoon season, jute harvesting cannot be started.
Farmers fall in trouble who have harvested jute sue to the lack of sufficient water in the reservoir, as a result the jute is drying up.
It is known that canals, ponds and other water reservoir drying up due to the absence of rain even in Ashar- Sraban and intense sun and heat. Jute should be harvested within 100 to 120 days after sowing. Jute cutting has to start at the end of Ashar month. But this time the farmers are not able to cut jute due to lack of rain. Again, as the water level is falling rapidly, the reservoir does not have the minimum amount of water required to retting jute. The farmers who cut the jute and left it to rot are also in danger.
Meanwhile, if the jute is not cut on time, there is a risk of the jute fibers becoming hard and dry. From harvesting to retting, if cost does not meet with their production then farmers may incur huge loss.
Meanwhile, the color of jute does not come properly due to lack of water during cultivation and retting. Farmers fear that they will be deprived of the real value of jute.
Dhulu Sharma, a jute grower of Garpara area of Dinajpur Khansama upazila said that the river channels have also dried up. Although it is the right time to cut jute, they are unable to cut it because there is no water in the canals. Moner Hossain of the same village said, 10 days ago I harvested jute, but now as there is no water, the raised jute are drying up and it will not be possible to remove the fiber from them.
Manu Miah, a farmer of Khansama upazila, said, “I have grown jute on 8 bigha of land and cannot harvest jute from the land as there is no system for retting. Moreover, there is a threat of flood like to slay the slain.
Regarding the matter, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer of Dinajpur Agriculture Extension Department Md. Nazrul Islam (attached) said, “Jute cultivation has been done on 27780 hectares of land in the district this season. Farmers in the grazing and flood-affected areas have started cutting jute but are faced difficulties with rotting jute due to the rapid decrease in water in the river and canals. Apart from this, Mainland farmers are raising jute by renting ponds, he said.
He said that due to the adverse effects of the climate, the farmers will suffer financially due to the lack of water in canals, ponds and ponds in Ashar-Sraban.
