Sherpur: The golden fiber has made a strong comeback in Sherpur this season as favourable weather and higher yields have helped jute production surpass the target, while better prices than last year have encouraged farmers to expand cultivation.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the district agriculture office attributes the bumper jute harvest this year to favourable weather conditions, with the market value of jute produced in the district estimated at around Taka 40 crore.
A visit to different fields in Sadar upazila found farmers busy harvesting jute, tying the stalks into bundles, and soaking them in water for retting. Others were engaged in stripping the fiber from retted jute, while some farmers were drying the fiber on bamboo racks and wooden structures beside water bodies and collecting jute sticks.
The prospect of getting good prices has doubled the farmers' activity in the fields compared to other times of the year, turning rural Sherpur into a festive scene of jute harvesting. The district agriculture office noted that jute cultivation had declined significantly in the district about a decade ago. However, the situation has gradually improved as average per-hectare yields have increased, and farmers have become more interested in the crop.
This year, jute was cultivated on 1,912 hectares against the target of 1,911 hectares, with an estimated production of 4,015 metric tonnes. So far, around 90 percent of the jute has been harvested, with farmers getting an average yield of 10 to 12 maunds per bigha.
Farmers reported spending around Taka 10,000 to Taka 12,000 to cultivate jute on one bigha of land, earning a profit of around Taka 15,000 to Taka 20,000. Additionally, they are earning extra income by selling bundles of jute sticks for Taka 80 to Taka 100 each.
Meanwhile, jute trading has gained momentum in various markets and haats across the district, where local traders are buying jute directly from farmers before sending it to different parts of the country. As demand for jute remains strong in the markets, the agriculture department hopes that farmers will receive fair prices for their produce.
Farmers, however, have urged the government to strengthen market monitoring to prevent middlemen and traders from forming syndicates that could artificially reduce jute prices. They warned that failure to ensure fair prices might discourage farmers from cultivating jute in the future, depriving them of a reasonable return on their investment.
Kader Mia, a jute grower from Sahabdir Char in Kamarchar area of Sadar upazila, expressed satisfaction with the favourable weather this year, which resulted in a good jute yield. 'Disease and pest attacks were also comparatively low. I got a higher yield per bigha than last year. If we get a fair price in the market, we will be able to make a good profit this year,' he said.
Saidur Rahman, another jute grower from Munshirchar village in Char Mocharia union of the upazila, noted that both the yield and quality of jute fiber were good this year. 'Timely rainfall reduced irrigation costs. If farmers are guaranteed a fair price in line with production costs, they will become more interested in jute cultivation in the coming years. For this, government and agriculture department support is needed,' he told BSS.
Sherpur Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Muslima Khanam Nilu stated that around 8,000 farmers in the district were provided with one kilogramme of jute seeds each under an agricultural incentive programme this year. She highlighted that the use of jute is increasing day by day in Bangladesh as it is an environment-friendly fiber, and its demand is also rising both at home and abroad. 'As farmers are getting better prices and making profits, their interest in jute cultivation is increasing,' she added.