Delwar Kabir, Jhenaidah :
When the people of some northern districts have been witnessing flood and fighting for life for last couple of weeks, the people of Jhenaidah and some south-western districts have been witnessing reverse climate in the monsoon.
The farmers in the area have been suffering badly to rot their jute for the water crisis in the rivers and other water bodies. The situation might hamper receive good quality of jute fibre from the matured plants. Least rainfall was manly liable for the situation, said the farmers.
The farmers said, the yield of the jute was satisfactory as there was handsome rainfall in May this year after a country wide prolonged drought. The farmers expected the better production and the hope was almost fulfilled. But the drought like climate has once again disheartened them when there was no sufficient water in the water bodies this monsoon.
Farmer Panna Mia of Manaharpur village in Sailkupa upapzila in Jhenaidah said, he cultivated jute on his three bighas of land in the season as against two bighas last season.
“Usually we rot our jute in nearby Kumar River every year, but the river lacks severe water crisis in the season. The famers like me have been moving here and there to rot their jute”, Panna said.
Office sources of the department of agriculture extension (DAE) in Jhenaidah said, they set a target to produce jute on 20,470 hectares of land in the in the current season. The achievement exceeded by 24,900 hectares. The DAE has been expecting at least 275,000 bales of jute fibre which will add additional 198,694 bales from in the season, the DAE office sources said.
Framer Sanker Kumar of Bishoykhali village in Jhenaidah Sadar upazila said, they are expecting that the lost time of once lost Golden Fibre is coming back before the jute farmers showing ray of hope, as the demand of the jute fibre was increasing abroad.
Moazzem Hossain, a jute vendor at Dakbangla weekly market in Jhenaidah when contacted said, the demand of the jute made accessories like sacks, bags etc. have been increasing in local markets when the government set an embargo on using plastic or synthetic bags for carrying food grains and some other items. It is also a significant initiative from the government side, Moazzem Hossain said.
When this correspondent visited a number of jute markets in Jhenaidah Sadar and Sailkupa saw some of the farmers started appearing in the market with newly harvested jute which was selling at Taka 1,850 to 1,900 each maund (40 kilogram), while the old stock ones at Taka 2,400 to 2,500 in the market.
The sources said, there was 557 milimetre of rainfall in Jhenaidah till July 17 as against 750 milimetre in the past season. As per the sources, three milimetre rainfall was recorded in January, 26 in February, 49 in March, 30 in April, 36 in May, 214 in June and in first 12 days of July, the rainfall was recocrded as 127 milimetre.
Shah Akramul Haque, Deputy Director of the DAE in Jhenaidah when contacted admitted the expansion of jute farming area in the district. He admitted the water crisis in river and other water bodies in the season.
The deputy director said, the soil of Jhenaidah was suitable for jute production. Further, the new doors for the jute fibre are opened gradually.
Moreover, the jute sticks, widely known as patkathi has a great demand for establishing betel leaf orchards and fuel purposes throughout the country. However, he was expecting more rainfall in the monsoon in near future that might ease the sufferings of the jute farmers, deputy director said.
When the people of some northern districts have been witnessing flood and fighting for life for last couple of weeks, the people of Jhenaidah and some south-western districts have been witnessing reverse climate in the monsoon.
The farmers in the area have been suffering badly to rot their jute for the water crisis in the rivers and other water bodies. The situation might hamper receive good quality of jute fibre from the matured plants. Least rainfall was manly liable for the situation, said the farmers.
The farmers said, the yield of the jute was satisfactory as there was handsome rainfall in May this year after a country wide prolonged drought. The farmers expected the better production and the hope was almost fulfilled. But the drought like climate has once again disheartened them when there was no sufficient water in the water bodies this monsoon.
Farmer Panna Mia of Manaharpur village in Sailkupa upapzila in Jhenaidah said, he cultivated jute on his three bighas of land in the season as against two bighas last season.
“Usually we rot our jute in nearby Kumar River every year, but the river lacks severe water crisis in the season. The famers like me have been moving here and there to rot their jute”, Panna said.
Office sources of the department of agriculture extension (DAE) in Jhenaidah said, they set a target to produce jute on 20,470 hectares of land in the in the current season. The achievement exceeded by 24,900 hectares. The DAE has been expecting at least 275,000 bales of jute fibre which will add additional 198,694 bales from in the season, the DAE office sources said.
Framer Sanker Kumar of Bishoykhali village in Jhenaidah Sadar upazila said, they are expecting that the lost time of once lost Golden Fibre is coming back before the jute farmers showing ray of hope, as the demand of the jute fibre was increasing abroad.
Moazzem Hossain, a jute vendor at Dakbangla weekly market in Jhenaidah when contacted said, the demand of the jute made accessories like sacks, bags etc. have been increasing in local markets when the government set an embargo on using plastic or synthetic bags for carrying food grains and some other items. It is also a significant initiative from the government side, Moazzem Hossain said.
When this correspondent visited a number of jute markets in Jhenaidah Sadar and Sailkupa saw some of the farmers started appearing in the market with newly harvested jute which was selling at Taka 1,850 to 1,900 each maund (40 kilogram), while the old stock ones at Taka 2,400 to 2,500 in the market.
The sources said, there was 557 milimetre of rainfall in Jhenaidah till July 17 as against 750 milimetre in the past season. As per the sources, three milimetre rainfall was recorded in January, 26 in February, 49 in March, 30 in April, 36 in May, 214 in June and in first 12 days of July, the rainfall was recocrded as 127 milimetre.
Shah Akramul Haque, Deputy Director of the DAE in Jhenaidah when contacted admitted the expansion of jute farming area in the district. He admitted the water crisis in river and other water bodies in the season.
The deputy director said, the soil of Jhenaidah was suitable for jute production. Further, the new doors for the jute fibre are opened gradually.
Moreover, the jute sticks, widely known as patkathi has a great demand for establishing betel leaf orchards and fuel purposes throughout the country. However, he was expecting more rainfall in the monsoon in near future that might ease the sufferings of the jute farmers, deputy director said.
