Clicky
Country

Jute farming in jeopardy in Joypurhat


Published : 13 Aug 2022 08:12 PM

In Joypurhat, though there is a bumper crop of jute in the current season but due to intense heat and lack of necessary water, the farmers are helpless. Jute is dying due to heat in the farmland. If there is not enough rain, the farmers are afraid of heavy losses in cultivating jute.

Most of the canals are supposed to be full of water during Bangla monsoon but due to lack of rain in the area, almost all of the canals are now dry. In Joypurhat, the light rains that have been received at several places and the water in the reservoirs are very insufficient to rot the jute.

In this farming area, many farmers cut jute in the hope of rain and keep it piled on the side of fields, some roads, canals, or ponds. Those who decided to protect the jute from the scorching heat, have covered the pile with straw and clothes due to lack of water. 

In the meantime, many are trying to rot jute by putting soil and heavy materials or stones on jute in the canal or water reservoir. Some people are using shallow engines to provide water to rot jute in the ponds. Due to lack of water, these raw jutes are in the process of getting spoiled in the sun.

Talking to several farmers including Mujbiur Rahman of Parulia Village, Lutfar Rahman of Bamanpur Village in Joypurhat Sadar upazila said that in this current rainy season, heat is actually going on during the monsoon season. In this condition, he cannot cut jute because of the inconvenience of jute being spoiled after cutting jute. Some of jute cuttings have been piled up for lack of water. 

Even if the farmers arrange water in ponds or small water bodies, they must pay additional costs. To be sure, the farmers are not able to achieve their dreams in the natural way. In different areas, a lot of jutes are still damaged. Due to the intense heat, the leaves, stems and roots of jute plants are starting to die.

According to the farmers, around Tk 16,000 are spent on jute cultivation per Bighas of land. Average yield per bigha is 10 maunds. 

The current market price of is from Tk 2500 to Tk 2700. They will not make much profit if they sell jute at this price.

Shafikul Islam, Deputy Director of Upazila Agriculture Extension Department said that in the current season, jute cultivation has been done on 8,300 hectares of land in Jolo Dasei and Tosha varieties. 

The modern robin rotating method of jute planting cannot respond to rains, as the farmers of this area are not knowledgeable about the modern rotting method of jute planting, they are still using the traditional method to hope for rain. 

Training on Jute rot is being provided to farmers through district agriculture office.