Our Correspondent :
A bumper production of jute was produced in Mollahat Upazila under Bagerhat district this year and its price is also a bit reasonable. So, the jute growers are very happy over the production of jute and its (reasonable) price and at the same time they (jute growers) urged upon the Government to extend its all kinds of supports (both financial and others) to them for the cultivation of jute.
According to the source of Bagerhat District Agriculture Extension Department, jute is cultivated on commercial bass throughout Mollahat Upazila under agriculture based Bagerhat district every year. Some 4 (four) thousand farmers cultivated jute on 9 thousand 60 hectares of lands in the Upazila this year and the target of the production was fixed at 2 thousand metric tones. At present the growers are very busy for harvesting the jute (cutting the jute plants, rotting them into water, separating the jute fibers from jute sticks, drying of both fiber and jute sticks in the air etc). As a result, the smell of the rotting jute has been prevailing in almost all the villages of the Upazila. Some one has already started to sell the jute (after collecting and drying the fiber) just with the very beginning of the jute (buying and selling) season. This year 2 to 2.5 tones of jute fiber was produced in per hectare of lands in the Upazila while the jute is being sold in the jute markets at Tk.2.5 thousand to Tk.3 thousand per maund, according to qualities. During the end of the season each maund jut may be sold at Tk.7/8 thousand. it is expected by the officials of Agriculture Department. Besides this, dried jute sticks collected from one Bigha lands (of 52 decimals) is sold at Tk.7/10 thousand, according to different sizes.
The farmers told, they cultivated jute on their lands after borrowing money form the money lenders with the high rate of interest. So just with the beginning of the jute harvesting period the creditors appear before the debtors (jute growers) in order to realize money from them (farmers). As a result, we, the jute growers are forced to sell our hard earned jute just with the beginning (jute) of the season and consequently, we are deprived of earning the highest profit from (our hard eaned) jute. In spite of that we are happy for the bumper production of jut and a bit reasonable price of the same this year. That is why they urged upon the Government to increase all kinds facilities to them.
One Rakibul Islam of Charbasuria village told, I cultivated jute on 3 Bighas of lands (of 52 decimals) this year and I already collected the jute from the field and they are now under processing. He added, I am expecting to get 40/45 maunds fiber from them. Another farmer of Mollahat Upzila named Rabibul Islam told, jute is cultivated in the maximum places of the Upazila. But at the time of sowing seeds there prevails an acute scarcity of water. So the farmers are to face a hardship to cultivate this important cash crop. He added, there are irrigation facilities at some places of the Upazila introduced by BADC (Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation).
But it is quite insufficient and maximum areas are deprived of this irrigation facility. In these circumstances, he urged the concerned department to introduce the irrigation facility to other places of the Upazila immediately.
It is learnt from jute cultivators that 3 varieties of jute such as local, Tosha and Mesta are cultivated in the Upazila and a some Tk.6/8 thousand is spent to cultivate jute on one Bigha lands (of 52 decimals) including preparing lands, sowing seeds, irrigation, fertilizing, uprooting of unwanted wild plants from the fields, harvesting and preparing the fibers for sale. But they cannot earn profit if the jute is sold just with beginning of the harvesting period.
