Jute farmers of Jibannagar Upazila of Chuadanga district are seeing the light of hope not only in golden ash but also in jute sticks. Apart from jute, they are also profiting by selling jute sticks. As a result, they are getting extra income. This brought a smile to the farmer's face. There was a time when jute was mainly used to fence the houses of poor families in villages. It also had considerable use as fuel. But thanks to technology, jute has become an increasingly profitable commodity. Sugarcane pulp, particle board, jute wood ash are used as raw materials for the production of carbon paper, computer and photocopier ink, toothpaste and farm fertilizers. For this reason, the farmer sees the light of hope in the silver stick of golden scales.
At present, the farmers are busy drying jute sticks in Jibannagar upazila after smoking jute. Jute drying is going on for miles along rural roads.
Jute growers of Jibannagar said that traders from far and wide including Kushtia-Jesore are coming to buy jute sticks.
Mozammel Haque, a farmer of Nidhikund village of Raipur union of upazila, said that they are selling jute sticks to the traders for 30 to 40 taka. It was once sold at a price of just 5 rupees. He also said that 250 bales of jute can be found in one piece of land. It is earning from 7 thousand 500 taka to 10 thousand taka by selling jute sticks per bigha.
Liakat Hossain, a jute farmer of Mrigmari village, said that the price of jute has also been good this time. Not only selling jute, but jute as well as jute sticks have raised our hopes.
Abed Ali, a farmer of Shahpur village in the upazila, said jute wood was of no use except for cooking fuel, house fences and canopies for drinking water. But now they can sell jute at a good price.
Jibannagar Upazila Agriculture Officer Sharmin Akhtar said that jute cultivation has been done on 1 thousand 797 hectares of land in Jibannagar Upazila this time. And the by-product of jute is used for various purposes including jute barge, carbon factory, and the demand for it is increasing day by day in the market. Because of this, the farmers of the region are also benefiting by selling jute at a good price.
