Farmers in Chuadanga have taken to the fields to cut jute this season. But growers are worried because heavy rain has kept yields below expectations. With jute fetching high prices in the market, however, agriculture officials see grounds for hope.

According to the agriculture department, jute has been grown on 8,995 hectares in the district this year, 1,235 hectares more than the target. But continuous rain just before cutting flattened plants, and yields are expected to be somewhat lower. Production costs Tk 15,000-20,000 a bigha, and a bigha usually yields 8-12 maunds of jute. Jute is now selling at about Tk 4,000 a maund, Tk 500 more than last year, and the price of jute sticks has also risen.

Farmers are now drying jute beside the Mathabhanga river, Raisar Beel in Damurhuda, Padma Beel, the beel at Dalkalakshmipur, Tassarer Beel in Alamdanga, the Bhairab river at Jibannagar and other canals and wetlands. Jute sticks hang from bamboo frames on both sides of the roads, and elsewhere farmers are busy tying and drying bundles. Plentiful rain has left ponds, canals and beels full, so jute retted there has a good colour and the quality of the jute sticks has improved.

Hasmat Ali, a farmer from Belgachhi village, said: "The price of jute is good, but with lower yields it is hard to cover costs. Farm inputs are also expensive, which adds to our worries."

Another grower, Asadul Haque, said: "It costs about Tk 20,000 a bigha, but yields are not what they were. Even with higher prices, it is hard to avoid a loss."

Masudur Rahman Sarkar, deputy director of the DAE in Chuadanga, said: "More has been grown this year than last. About half the jute has already been cut. There is enough water for retting. With good prices, farmers will profit. Regular advice is being given to expand jute cultivation."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.