Jute cultivation surges in Shibganj

Jute cultivation has reached its highest level in several years, keeping farmers busy for nearly one and a half months.

According to the Shibganj Upazila Agriculture Extension Office and field visits to remote areas, favourable weather conditions have contributed to a good jute harvest this year. Farmers are producing between eight and 10 maunds of jute per bigha and selling it for Tk 3,350 to Tk 4,000 per maund, depending on quality.

Shibganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Nayan Mia said favourable weather had resulted in higher yields while good prices were encouraging farmers to grow more jute.

“As jute requires less time and investment than other crops while providing good yields and prices, farmers are increasingly turning to jute cultivation. The current price is Tk 3,500-4,000 per maund,” he said.

According to the agriculture office, 11,875 farmers cultivated jute on 2,375 hectares of land in Shibganj this year, the highest area in several years.

Last year, jute was cultivated on 1,910 hectares, meaning the area increased by 465 hectares this year, while the number of farmers remained almost unchanged.
Farmers cultivated different varieties of tossa, local and mesta jute, including BJRI-8 (BARI-1), BJRI-9, Maharashtra, JRI Jute-5, CVE-3, CC-45, HS-24 and BJRI Mesta-2.

The average yield is 2.66 metric tonnes per hectare. The production cost is estimated at Tk 152,343 per hectare against an income of Tk 252,000, giving farmers a net profit of Tk 99,657 per hectare. The jute production target for the year was set at 4,103.75 metric tonnes.

As part of an agricultural incentive programme, 350 jute farmers received one kilogramme of jute seed, five kilogrammes of DAP fertiliser and five kilogrammes of MOP fertiliser each this year.

Nayan Mia said preventing the use of polythene was the responsibility of the administration, while establishing government jute procurement centres was the responsibility of the Department of Agricultural Marketing.

Shibganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Mazharul Islam said the administration would take up the farmers’ demand for a government jute procurement centre with the relevant higher authorities.

“If farmers submit a written application, we will discuss the establishment of a government jute procurement centre with the relevant higher authorities on behalf of the upazila administration and take the necessary steps,” he said.

Regarding polythene use, he said laws were already in place and drives were conducted from time to time.

Farmers, however, said stronger measures to stop the use of health-hazardous polythene across the country, including Shibganj, could boost demand for jute products such as bags, sacks and cloth, ultimately increasing jute production and prices.

Jute farmer Jalal Uddin of Monakasha Union said he cultivated jute on 15 bighas of land this year.
“The entire jute has not yet been cut, retted and stripped. About half of the work has been completed. The yield is around 10 maunds per bigha, and I am selling it for Tk 3,500 per maund,” he said.

He said he was also getting six to seven maunds of jute sticks per bigha and selling them for Tk 400 per maund.

“After including the costs of land preparation, seeds, fertiliser, irrigation, weeding, cutting, retting and stripping the fibre, the cost comes to around Tk 15,000 per bigha. The total cost for 15 bighas is about Tk 225,000. I expect to earn around Tk 500,000 from the jute grown on 15 bighas. After deducting the costs, the profit will be around Tk 275,000,” he said.

Farmers including Milon Ali, who cultivated 25 kathas, Abu Hossain with eight bighas, Sadikul Islam with three bighas, Jaglul Haque of Binodpur Union with one bigha, Harun-or-Rashid with two bighas, Masud Rana of Shahabajpur Union with four bighas, Haider Ali with five bighas, Abdul Malek with five bighas, Ruhul Amin with three bighas and Ashraf Hossain with three bighas also said they had benefited from jute cultivation.

More than a hundred farmers from different unions are reportedly making profits from jute cultivation.
Meanwhile, some unemployed young people have started buying standing jute directly from farmers and processing it for sale, creating a new source of income.

Sadek of Parchouka, one such trader, said he bought standing jute from 25 kathas of land for Tk 16,500 and obtained around 10 maunds of fibre. He sold the jute for around Tk 35,000 after spending about Tk 10,000, making a profit of roughly Tk 9,000.

He said hundreds of unemployed young people in the upazila were engaged in the same business.
“This business does not require any cash capital. I negotiate the price with farmers, sell the jute and then pay them with the proceeds,” he said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of disadvantaged women in Shibganj are earning Tk 400-500 a day by stripping jute fibre, with some receiving jute sticks as payment for their labour.

Shilpi, a disadvantaged widow, said she stripped fibre from around 30-35 bundles of jute a day and received an average of 40-45 kilogrammes of jute sticks daily.

“I have been doing this work for about a month. I sell the jute sticks and earn Tk 400-500 a day, which helps me support my family,” she said.

Thus, jute cultivation has created employment opportunities for hundreds of women in the upazila while providing farmers with good returns.

Farmers have demanded government initiatives to stop the use of polythene and establish government-run jute procurement centres.

The upazila administration said it would strengthen drives against polythene use and try to facilitate the marketing of jute-made bags, sacks and clothing in response to the farmers’ demands.