Farmers in Magura are busy stripping fibre from jute retted in water. Across the district, growers are at work by roadsides, on pond banks and along riverbanks. Here, a worker who strips two bundles gets one bundle of jute sticks, and men and women are also busy sorting the sticks.

In Belnagar and Kuchiamora in Magura Sadar upazila, Binodpur in Mohammadpur upazila and elsewhere, farmers were lifting retted jute from the water and stripping the fibre. More women are now taking part in the work alongside men.

Housewife Amena Khatun, busy stripping fibre and sorting sticks by a road and pond in Sadar upazila, said: "We are working here for the jute sticks. For every two bundles of jute I strip, I get one bundle of sticks. If I strip 50 to 60 bundles a day, I can take half the sticks from the owner. The owner benefits and so do we."

On the bank of the Nabaganga river in Binodpur union of Mohammadpur upazila, a group of workers including Saheb Molla (50), Altab Hossain (52), Islam Biswas (38), Malek (52) and Kalam Molla (50) were stripping jute on a per-bundle contract.

"The owner has hired us as workers. We strip jute under a contract by the bundle," said Islam Biswas.

Jute farmer Harun Mridha said: "The jute yield is good this year. I hope we'll get a good price too. If we do, I can support my wife and children."

Farmers said they had become quite hopeful because prices were good at the start of the season. Hannan Hossain said: "At the start of this year jute was Tk 4,200 to Tk 4,500, so farmers were very happy. If prices stay good, farmers will be more interested in growing jute in future."

Farmers hope that with good yields and good market prices they will cover their costs, make a profit and be encouraged to grow more jute next season. High-yielding jute varieties were grown in the Magura area this year, and those involved say favourable weather and good care have produced good yields.

Md Taizul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Magura, said: "Jute yields have been good in Magura this year. I hope farmers will also get a fair price."

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