Jute cultivation falls in 8 districts of Rangpur divn
Cultivation of jute has decreased by 70,593 acres in eight districts of Rangpur Division in the current season.
Growers said they were reluctant to cultivate jute this season due to a fall in the prices of the fibre last year.
Officials at the local office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), however, attributed it to an extensive increase in cultivation of maize and other Robi crops in the region.
The farmers who cultivated jute last year told this correspondent that they did not get the fair price of their produce and so, out of frustration, they refrained from cultivating jute in the current season.
Jute was sold between Tk 900 and Tk 1,000 per maund last year whereas the price varied from Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,200 per maund in 2010, farmers said.
The DAE sources said 2,23,801 acres of land have been brought under jute cultivation in the eight districts under Rangpur division in the current season.
On the other hand, jute was cultivated on 2,94,394 acres of land last year.
DAE sources said, in the current season, local variety jute was cultivated on 28,360 acres while Tosa variety on 1, 95,441 acres of lands in the eight districts.
This year's district-wise break up shows 38,047 acres were brought under jute farming in Rangpur, 27,107 acres in Gaibandha, 42,103 acres in Kurigram, 20,678 acres in Lalmonirhat, 29,170 acres in Nilphamari, 19,170 acres in Dinajpur, 29,412 acres in Thakurgoan and 18,161 acres in Panchagarh.
Last year, the break up was 42,666 acres in Rangpur, 35,283 acres in Gaibandha, 57,931 acres in Kurigram, 17,245 acres in Lalmonirhat, 32,888 acres in Nilphamari, 29,686 acres in Dinajpur, 40,199 acres in Thakurgoan and 38,492 acres in Panchagarh.
Out of the total, local variety was cultivated on 29,179 acres and Tosa variety on 2, 55,215 acres last year.
Shajahan Mia, 50, a farmer of Machhari village in Kaunia upazila of Rangpur, said many farmers in the upazila lost interest in cultivating jute this year as they incurred losses by cultivating the fibre last year.
Others said absence of necessary rainfall and crisis of labourers added to the situation.
A large number of farmers said they may totally stop planting jute in future if they do not get fair price next year.
Agriculturists expressed concerned over the decline in cultivation of jute in the region in the current season.
They urged the government to take necessary steps to fix fair prices of jute to encourage the farmers to cultivate it.
Sikandar Ali, additional director of Rangpur DAE, said despite all odds, they were trying their best to retain the quality and quantity of jute in the region.
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