Madhukhali (Faridpur) Correspondent :
Jute farmers are waiting for rain in Madhukhali in Faridpur. In the meantime new jute has begun to rise. This year, the farmers are happy to get good prices of jute, but so far due to adequate rain farmers are unable to process jute . Jute farmers are in danger.
Farmers and Agriculture Department sources said that due to the low rainfall in the month of Ashar, there was no water in the region. Because of this, the farmers could not cut the jute from the land without getting water as needed to give jute jog.
Manu Mrudra, a jute farmer of Bhatikandi Mathurapur Village of Madhukhali Municipality, said that This year he has cultivated jute on one acre of land.” The yield of jute has also been great. But due to lack of water, he dis not cut the jute. He covered with bananas on top of the bed. To process jute it should be irrigated by water. Which is very expensive.
Arapara Union Jute cultivator Akram said, he cannot rot jute land he cultivated this year due to lack of water. He had dipped some kind of jute in the mud next to the house. Meanwhile, it is now time to plant rice on the land. So forced to cut the jute and dip it here. Looking forward to the rain.
The situation in all the villages of the upazila is almost the same. Farmers said that this year, the yield of jute has been very good because the disease is not too much. Again, the jute prices are higher than last year, they are expecting profit to grow jute.
Madhukhali Upazila Agriculture Department said that jute has been cultivated on 8 thousand 555 hectares of land in the upazila this year. Which is 3 hectares higher than the target. The jute is currently being sold for three to three thousand rupees.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Alvi Rahman said jute jugs could not be provided for shortness of water. If there is no rainfall, water will not be accumulated in the canal-bill. In that case the farmers have to wake up by irrigation. This year, the target of jute cultivation is estimated to be on 8,552 hectares of land. Jute is cultivated in 3 thousand 5 hectares.
UNB from Thakurgaon adds: Aman paddy and jute growers of Thakurgaon district have become worried due to drought-like situation for lack of rains which is hampering timely jute harvesting and Aman cultivation.
Paddy, jute, maize, wheat and sugarcane are grown aplenty in the district due to its fertile soil. But this year, jute growers have been facing problem to rot and process the natural fibre due to lack of rains even during the monsoon.
The jute growers are not harvesting their jute as there is lack of adequate water to rot it. Every year, they harvest jute and keep those under water for rotting in this season, said farmers.
If jute is not harvested now Aman growers will not be able to cultivate Aman paddy on the same land on time, which may lead to food crisis, they said.
Aman farmers in the district mostly depend on rainwaters for cultivation. According to government data, there are no irrigation facilities in 50 percent of Aman land.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), this year, a total of 1,465 hectares of land have been brought under jute cultivation this year which was 1,222 hectares last year.
Besides, this year, the government has set a target to cultivate Aman paddy on 1,37,025 hectares of land with a target to produce 3,97,450 metric tonnes of paddy.
Usually farmers cultivate Aman paddy from July 1 to July 31 but this year, the Aman growers failed to prepare Aman seedbed even in the second week of July.
Mafijul Islam, a farmer of Sadar upazila, said “Rains drenched the district in June. I have prepared my land for Aman cultivation but there is no sign of rains now.”
Rahmat, a jute grower, said all the canals and beels (waterbodies) have dried up and I did not get adequate water for rotting jute that’s why I have failed harvest jute.
Krishna Roy, Agriculture Officer of Sadar upazila, said every year in July, the district record 700 mm of rainfall but this year the weather office have so far recorded only 170 mm of rainfall.
Only 10 per cent lands have been brought under Aman cultivation and if the drought-like situation continues the farmers will count losses, he said.
Abu Hossain, feputy director of Thakurgaon DAE, said ” Due to this situation, we have asked the authorities of BADC and BMDA to keep their irrigation pumps operative. Besides, necessary advice was given to the farmers to Aman growers, “he added.
A mild heat wave is sweeping over Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhet divisions and Tangail, Jashore and Chuadanga districts and it may continue, said a Met office bulletin on Sunday.
However, light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at a few places over Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, Rangpur and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Dhaka, Rajshahi and Mymensingh divisions with moderately heavy falls at isolated places over the country, it said.
