With good prices for jute, the golden fibre, from the very start of the season, farming families are happy this year. Their fears have passed and jute growers are smiling again. Moti Mia, a jute farmer from Barura in Cumilla, told BSS that jute prices this year are about double those of the last few years. Jute sticks are also in greater demand and fetching higher prices.

Jute growers say that if things stay this way, the golden fibre will soon return to its golden age. But they want the relevant government departments to keep watch.

According to the district agricultural marketing office, farmers have made their highest profit from jute this year compared with the last several years, doubling their profit per bigha. Production cost calculations show farmers spent Tk 8,000 to Tk 10,000 to grow jute on one bigha, or 33 decimals. With an average yield of 12 maunds per bigha and higher prices, farmers earned nearly double the profit of recent years. Jute is now selling at Tk 2,300 to Tk 3,000 a maund.

Several Cumilla farmers said that because prices are good and jute is paying, interest in growing it has revived. Agriculture officials in several upazilas said the yield met expectations this year thanks to favourable weather, and prices are good too.

Cumilla jute farmer Shahjahan told BSS he grew jute on one bigha and harvested 10 maunds. He sold it at the market for Tk 2,500 a maund and also sold jute sticks for Tk 6,000. In all, Shahjahan said, growing jute on the bigha cost him about Tk 11,000.

Experts and scientists said the lost tradition is returning because the government has paid special attention to this promising sector of agriculture, one of the main sources of foreign currency. With higher jute output, mills are easily getting enough jute, and exports of the sacking, yarn, carpets and bags they produce have eased the way to earning large amounts of foreign currency.

Mizanur Rahman, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Cumilla, told BSS that jute yields in Cumilla are good this year. Farmers have begun selling their jute and are happy with the prices. He hoped jute cultivation would expand in future.

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