Jute sticks are now no more ignored by the farmers of Jhenaidah as it has great demand to the people, especially to the farmers engaged in cultivating betel leaf. The farmers are happy as they get extra money from selling the jute sticks after selling the fiber.
Mahidul Islam, a farmer of Langalbandh area in Shailkupa, said earlier they were used to selling jute sticks to the people for using these for cooking purposes in the rural areas. However, now the demand of jute stick has increased so it is being sold to other parts of the district. The betel leaf orchard owners were demanding it with a good price. So, the jute farmers are earning some extra money by selling jute sticks along with jute fiber, he said.
Alam Seikh, 37, a motor-run rickshaw-van puller of Sadhuhati area in Jhenaidah, said he has been carrying the jute sticks to different areas of Jhenaidah and adjacent Magura and Kushtia districts. Major buyers of the jute sticks are betel leaf orchard owners who use the sticks as fencing. They also use jute sticks as shade of their orchards.
Alam Seikh said many van pullers purchase the sticks from different rural village farmers of Jhenaidah Sadar, Shailkupa and other areas and sell them at a higher price to their clients. At least 300 van drivers were engaged to carry the jute sticks and earn for their families.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Khamarbari of Jhenaidah, Sasti Chandra Roy, said the jute sticks had opened a new era to the farmers as it has a good demand among the betel leaf orchard owners for its environment-friendly nature. The farmers were benefitted as they were receiving better price for the jute sticks, the Deputy Director of DAE said.
