In other districts, the farmers are not able to grow jute due to lack of water and the opposite is the case in Kishoreganj. The water has destroyed the farmers. Last June, the dream was shattered by the flood caused by the upstream. The roots of the jute plant rotted and caused huge damage to the farmers. They cut the remnants of jute trees and wake them up in the water. Farmers say that the agriculture department did not advise on flood forecast and jute cutting and hence they are suffering today.
It is known that farmers in Karimganj, Tarail, Nikli, Katiadi and Bajitpur upazilas have suffered heavy losses due to flood. Most of the land was not suitable for harvesting. It is also reported that at least 70% of jute were not deductible. Hundreds of farmers' crops have been destroyed. The rest of them have to be removed by spending money.
According to the sources of the Department of Agricultural Extension, jute has been cultivated on 17 thousand 200 hectares of land in the district. Among them, 6 thousand 760 hectares of land have been cultivated in Karimganj upazila, known as the state of jute. Jute has been cultivated in 1 thousand 620 hectares in Katiadi, 285 hectares in Nikli, 1 thousand 100 hectares in Bajitpur, and 748 hectares in Tarail. Among them, 1 thousand 495 hectares of deshi jute, 8 thousand 530 hectares of kenaf, 6 thousand 560 hectares of tosha, and 615 hectares of Mesta have been cultivated. Jute farmers have already cut 70% of the crop. Going to the ground, it can be seen that jute is being harvested from the fields in most areas of the district. The cut jute from the field is being taken elsewhere. Preparations for rotting jute are going on somewhere. Again the work of removing fiber from the rotten jute is going on. Farmers are having a busy time.
Talking to the farmers, it is known that most of the farmers have suffered heavy losses due to the flood caused by the upstream. As the roots of the jute trees rotted in the flood waters, their trees fell. Due to which most of the farmers of the district could not take their crops home.
Jute farmer Abu Naim of Barahaor Khairat village of Gundhar union under Karimganj upazila said that he can cut 10-12 bighas of kenaf out of about 30 bighas of land. Half of the remaining 18-20 bighas are completely wasted and half are uncollectible. Although jute is a foreign exchange earning crop, no responsible official or representative of the government has come to see the picture of the damage so far. No scientific officer of BJRI, the research institute that invented kenaf, came. Moreover, if the farmers are made aware of the possible damage by visiting during the flood, the amount of damage would have been much less.
Chief Scientific Officer of Jute Research Institute Md. Ashraful Alam said that the Directorate of Agricultural Extension will determine the amount of damage and take action. Due to shortage of manpower we could not collect data on the extent of losses. Farmers are advised to compensate the loss by producing good quality seeds. Department of Agricultural Extension Deputy Director Abdus Sattar said that there is no system to give incentives to jute farmers separately. Upazila Agriculture Officers are constantly informed at the field level and are regularly advised.