Price nosedive worries Pabna jute growers
Truckload of jute fibre is being readied in Ataikula upazila of Pabna district for taking to a jute mill. Good harvest of the cash crop, however, fails to make the farmers in the district happy as the price sees a sharp fall this season. Photo: STAR
Jute price sees unexpected fall in the local markets, much to the worry of over 50 thousand growers in the district, despite good production of the cash crop this season. This year 38 thousand and 720 hectares of land were brought under jute cultivation in nine upazilas of the district and 2 lakh 45 thousand and 212 bales of jute have been produced, said sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension. But the farmers are now counting huge losses as jute is now selling in the district markets for Tk 1000 to Tk 1,200 per maund against Tk 1,500 to Tk 1,800 even two weeks ago, growers and market sources said. In the beginning of the last season, the price of a maund of jute was Tk 1,500 to Tk 1,700 which rose to Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,400 at the end, farmers said. The high price inspired them to cultivate jute on larger areas of land this season. But now they are frustrated due to unexpected fall in the price. "We are disappointed at the drastic fall of jute price. We may not opt for jute cultivation next season," said Mohammad Ali, a jute cultivator at Matebari village under Pabna Sadar upazila. Farmers alleged that the jute mills under Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation are purchasing the cash crop at a very slow pace, which caused the fall in its price. A number of poor jute growers said middlemen are compelling them to sell their produces to the wholesalers on credit without giving any time frame for payment. Meanwhile, many jute growers who harvested the crop in late season with expectation to get the maximum price are now facing more losses.
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