Farmers of Jibannagar upazila are getting higher prices of jute at the beginning of this season than the previous year. Upazila jute farmers seems happy to get good price. Farmers in the area said that the price of jute is higher this year than last year. Last year at this time, the price of jute per maund was 1700 to 2200 taka. But this year at the beginning of the season, jute is being sold at Tk 2,500 to Tk 2,900 per maund. Farmers are making a profit of 13 to 15 thousand taka per bigha only by selling jute. If they add the price of jute to that, the farmer's profit is about Tk 20,000 per bigha in this year.
According to Jibannagar Upazila Agriculture Office sources, Jute has been cultivated in 1 thousand 797 hectares of land in Jibannagar Upazila this year. Which is 147 hectares more than last year.
After visiting various villages of the upazila, it was seen that the farmers of the upazila have been busy with jute cutting, jute fibre removal and drying for about three weeks. Due to the lack of water in ponds, canals, canals and ponds due to lack of rain, the farmers of the area have to face the problem of removing jute fibre. Jute cultivation has increased this year due to favorable weather compared to last year. The price and yield of jute this year is higher than last year. As a result, jute farmers are benefiting a lot and become more interested to cultivate this crop in the upcoming years. In the current season, eight to ten maunds of jute are being produced per bigha.
Hamidul Islam, a farmer of Dumuria village of the upazila, said that the price of jute is higher this year than last year. Last year the value of jute was from 1 thousand 800 taka to 2 thousand 200 taka. This time it is being sold for two and a half to three thousand Tk. Moreover, the yield of jute has also improved this year.
Santoshpur village farmer Zahurul Haque said that this year, they have cultivated four bigha of jute. Jute production is almost 10 maunds per bigha. Excluding expenses, the profit has doubled. Now, they benefit from better prices.
The farmers of the area said that the price of jute is better than last year. The yield is also good. The weather was also favorable. If they get a good price, there will be more interest in jute cultivation in the future. As a result jute cultivation will increase. Along with jute, the demand for jute chalk is also high. Jute chalk is in great demand for fuel and fencing. Due to this, the price and demand of jute is increasing day by day.
Jibannagar Upazila Agriculture Officer Sharmin Akhtar said that the production, quantity and price of cultivation is higher this year than last year. Due to favorable weather conditions for jute cultivation, the farmers got more yield. The price of jute is going well in the market. Hope the plantation will increase in the future. She further said that free jute seeds and chemical fertilizers have been provided to jute farmers through incentive schemes from the Department of Jute and the Department of Agricultural Extension. Mainly because the price of jute is good, farmers have become more interested in jute cultivation.