Anisul Islam Noor :
The farmers are getting expected price this year as the demand of jute and jute-sticks at home and abroad increased considering its environment friendly use globally, business insiders said.
The rising demand for raw jute and jute-sticks and an increase in production helped the farmers in getting such handsome returns, they said.
Farmers in Faridpur, Dhaka, Pabna and Rangpur regions have so far completed harvesting and primary trading of raw jute, according to the Department of Jute (DoJ). Jute is cultivated in March-April and harvested in July-September period in Bangladesh.
According to a DoJ data, tossa variety was selling at Tk 1,650-Tk 2,200 per maund (40 kilograms) while desi at Tk 1,300-Tk 1,500 per maund across the country.
Md Ataur Rahman, a farmer-cum-trader of Faridpur Sadar Upazila, cultivated jute on 3 bighas of land and got 23 maunds of fibre this season.
He said that production was much better as they got half a maund additional crop from per bigha (33 decimals) this year thanks to timely rain and enough water for rotting the fibre.
Ataur said the production cost for per bigha was Tk 11,000 to Tk 11,500 in his area, including ploughing, seed, fertiliser, pesticides and labour cost.
“I sold nearly eight maunds of jute, cultivated on one bigha of land at Tk 15,000 in the first week of September and made a stock of rest crops,” he said.
“I got nearly 7.5 maunds of jute-sticks from three bighas and earned Tk 8,000 more by selling them,” he added.
He said profit was 10 per cent more this year than last year as prices of both jute and jute sticks increased on an average.
Assistant Director of Department of Agricultural Marketing T M Rashed Khan said their primary study conducted in three regions — Faridpur, Dhaka and Rangpur — showed that farmers were making 60-70 per cent return by selling their jute and jute sticks.
He said Rangpur farmers are getting more prices for jute-sticks of desi variety while Faridpur farmers are getting handsome prices for raw jute as the region grows world’s best ‘tossa’ variety. He said both furniture companies and charcoal exporters are now looking for jute sticks which helped the farmers earn more.
Chairman of the Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association (BJMA) Ahmed Hossain said that the implementation of Mandatory Jute Packaging Law -2010 (MJPL) has fuelled up the demand for raw jute in the country.
He said now local mills need more than 3.0 million bales (180 kgs) of jute to meet the demand for 480 million pieces of Hessian and sacks annually for commodity traders.
Ahmed Hossain said spinners need 3.8 million bales of quality tossa variety of jute annually. Like last year, the government should impose a ban on jute export.
Last year, the government imposed ban on export of jute to ensure smooth supply of the fibre for local mills involved in production of sacks, Hessians and yarn.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), jute production was 7.4 million bales in the last financial year while the department is expecting 8.0 million bales this fiscal.
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data showed that jute sector’s export earnings increased by 6 per cent to US$ 919 million in FY’16 comparing to FY’15.
The farmers are getting expected price this year as the demand of jute and jute-sticks at home and abroad increased considering its environment friendly use globally, business insiders said.
The rising demand for raw jute and jute-sticks and an increase in production helped the farmers in getting such handsome returns, they said.
Farmers in Faridpur, Dhaka, Pabna and Rangpur regions have so far completed harvesting and primary trading of raw jute, according to the Department of Jute (DoJ). Jute is cultivated in March-April and harvested in July-September period in Bangladesh.
According to a DoJ data, tossa variety was selling at Tk 1,650-Tk 2,200 per maund (40 kilograms) while desi at Tk 1,300-Tk 1,500 per maund across the country.
Md Ataur Rahman, a farmer-cum-trader of Faridpur Sadar Upazila, cultivated jute on 3 bighas of land and got 23 maunds of fibre this season.
He said that production was much better as they got half a maund additional crop from per bigha (33 decimals) this year thanks to timely rain and enough water for rotting the fibre.
Ataur said the production cost for per bigha was Tk 11,000 to Tk 11,500 in his area, including ploughing, seed, fertiliser, pesticides and labour cost.
“I sold nearly eight maunds of jute, cultivated on one bigha of land at Tk 15,000 in the first week of September and made a stock of rest crops,” he said.
“I got nearly 7.5 maunds of jute-sticks from three bighas and earned Tk 8,000 more by selling them,” he added.
He said profit was 10 per cent more this year than last year as prices of both jute and jute sticks increased on an average.
Assistant Director of Department of Agricultural Marketing T M Rashed Khan said their primary study conducted in three regions — Faridpur, Dhaka and Rangpur — showed that farmers were making 60-70 per cent return by selling their jute and jute sticks.
He said Rangpur farmers are getting more prices for jute-sticks of desi variety while Faridpur farmers are getting handsome prices for raw jute as the region grows world’s best ‘tossa’ variety. He said both furniture companies and charcoal exporters are now looking for jute sticks which helped the farmers earn more.
Chairman of the Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association (BJMA) Ahmed Hossain said that the implementation of Mandatory Jute Packaging Law -2010 (MJPL) has fuelled up the demand for raw jute in the country.
He said now local mills need more than 3.0 million bales (180 kgs) of jute to meet the demand for 480 million pieces of Hessian and sacks annually for commodity traders.
Ahmed Hossain said spinners need 3.8 million bales of quality tossa variety of jute annually. Like last year, the government should impose a ban on jute export.
Last year, the government imposed ban on export of jute to ensure smooth supply of the fibre for local mills involved in production of sacks, Hessians and yarn.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), jute production was 7.4 million bales in the last financial year while the department is expecting 8.0 million bales this fiscal.
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data showed that jute sector’s export earnings increased by 6 per cent to US$ 919 million in FY’16 comparing to FY’15.
