The dreams of jute farmers have came true in 11 southern districts of Barisal agricultural region due to increasing market price and bumper cultivation.
Farmers have urged the government to check the flow of low quality seeds during the sowing season and expansion of national and international market.
Mojibul Haque Mia, Additional Director, Department of Agricultural Extension in Barisal region said farmers are cultivating the cash crop in larger areas of land as it is earning them good profit for the last four years approaching environment- friendly use of jute-fiber produced items.
Farmers of the region have already cultivated jute on 1,94,880 hectre of land.
Under this cultivation ‘Deshi(country) cultivated on 4,081 hectres, ‘Tosha’ on 1,77,263 hectres, ‘Mesta’ on 9,796 hectres, ‘Kenaf’ on 3,740 hectres of lands in the region, told the additional director of AED.
After ending of cultivation it may exceed the target to 2,01,165 hectre of land with a targeted production of average 11 bell per hectre ( 1 bell= 5 maunds) for producing 22,12,815 bells of jute fibers. , Rafikul Islam, deputy director AED Barisal regional office said.
Barisal AED sources said , this year farmers of 11 districts including Barisal, Patuakhali, Jhalakati, Pirojpur, Bhola, Barguna, Faridpur, Rajbari, Shariatpur, Madaripur and Gopalganj under Barisal agricultural region cultivated mainly ‘tosha (chorchorous olitorius) ‘ varieties of jute.
Besides farmers also cultivated fabric variety of Deshi, Mechhta and Kenaf jutes on few hectres in different parts of Barisal agricultural region.
Jute also cultivated to use as vegetables in limited range in Bhola, Patuakhali and Barguna districts.
Already harvesting of more than 60 percent of Tosha varieties completed in the region, said AED officials.
Field level agricultural staffs and farmers said growers had to spend about Tk 12-15,000 for jute cultivation on a bigha of land that may produce 10 to 14 maunds Jute fibers in this season worth Tk 25,000-30,000.
The product, although delayed because of late raining in the region, but August-September will be the peak season for harvesting, told farmer Hosen Mia of Agoiljhara.
The price of the jute sticks (Pat-khori), also usable as fence and fuel, hoped to be higher than previous year, farmer Yusuf Ali of Gournadi said.
Although the jute farmers alleged about facing seed crisis hampering sowing seeds in time and forcing them to collect low quality seeds from market at higher prices.
We need centers of Jute Research Institute for field level training about developed and modern cultivation methods of jute and ensure sufficient supply of standard jute seeds in fair price, said Rashid Mia, a jute farmer of Agoiljhara at Barisal-Gopalganj district border.
However, Shafiur Rahman, Office Assistant of the seed section of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation denying the allegation said , they supplied sufficient quality seeds to fulfill the demands of the farmers.
