Farmers of the district have continued jute harvesting during this kharip-1 season of four districts in Khulna agricultural zone, agriculture officials said.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) office sources said jute harvesting is on the last stage as farmers have already harvested jute on 27,541 hectares of land out of 39,344 hectares till Monday.
They said the farmers cultivated three varieties-- local, Tosha and Mesta-- of jute this year.
The peasants' cultivated Tosha variety of jute on 39,250 hectares of land while local variety on 36 hectares and Mesta variety jute on 58 hectares of land in the agricultural zone.
This year, 1,447 hectares of land came under jute cultivation in Khulna, 1,927 hectares in Bagerhat, 12,540 hectares in Satkhira and 23,430 hectares in Narail districts.
Sources said farmers got two tonnes of jute fiber of local variety from per hectare of land while they got 2.10 tonnes Tosha variety and 1.80 tonnes Mesta variety from per hectare of land.
They said though on the first stage, farmers harvested jute early due to rain and got fewer yields but on the mid and last stages, the production is expected to be high.
Additional Director of the Department of Khulna Agricultural Extension (DAE) zone Divash Chandra Saha said aiming to increase production, incentive on jute cultivation was disbursed among 2,000 small and marginal farmers in all the four districts. Each of the farmers got one kilogram free Tosha jute seed for cultivation of one Bigha of land instead of cash Taka 2,225, he said.
"Harvesting is now at the last stage and production of Jute has increased due to favourable weather and incentives," he said, adding that the DAE has fixed a target to cultivate Jute on 39,141 hectares of lands, exceed the target 203 hectares.
