Sr. Staff Reporter, Rangpur :
The jute cultivators at different areas under Rangpur Agriculture region have become ecstatic as they are getting a satisfactory profit from the selling of the cash crop during this current season. Presently, the growers are earning a good price from both jute and jute sticks which is encouraging them to bring more land under its farming next season. Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur official sources said, this season jute was cultivated on around 54,000 hectares of land in 5 districts of Rangpur agriculture region. The production target was about 6 lakh 66 thousand 54 bales of jute. The districts are Rangpur,Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat.
Sources said, at least 55 to 58 maunds of jute can be produced on one hectare of land. Presently, per maund jute is being sold at Tk 2,700 to Tk 3,000 at different markets of the region which was Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,500 last year. On the other hand per maund jute sticks is being sold at Tk 400 to Tk 500.
Visiting different areas, this found the growers passing busy time processing their harvested jute in different water bodies.
Expressing satisfaction, Bhuben, a jute cultivator of Nabdiganj area of Pirgachhaupazila in Rangpur district told he cultivated jute on 2 acres of land this season and got around 45 maunds of produce. He earned around Tk 1,31,000 from its sale. He is expecting to sell around 70 maunds of jute sticks from the same quantity of land and its cost is expected to be about Tk 35,000, he added.
Md. Hamidul, another grower at Ranipukur area of MithapukurUpazila in Rangpurat the initial stage of farming, peasants became dejected to behold nature’s antagonistic behaviour, because a drought like situation was witnessed in the region.