Gaibandha/

The jute farmers of Gaibandha are disappointed because of not getting fair price for jute this year. As the yield of jute has decreased due to lack of rain in the current year in the district, the cost of production has also increased. Due to lack of rain, the farmers have to face the problem of raising jute. After all this, the farmers were disappointed with the golden fibers as they did not get the expected price while selling the jute. Farmers are blaming the government’s goodwill and the syndicate for this.

Kamarjani Bandar is the only jute market in Gaibandha. This haat is held on Fridays and Mondays of the week. Jute farmers and small traders of Gaibandha, Kurigram and Jamalpur buy and sell jute there. On Friday morning around 9 o’clock in this market, it is seen that a person is sitting on one side of the market with jute. Seventy Touches That person’s name is Abdul Sattar. This square farmer is bringing jute from Mollarchar. When asked, he said that 22,000 rupees were spent on jute cultivation in two bigha of land including plough, seeds, fertilizer and labor wages. And jute has been 9 marks. According to the market, its price is now 18 thousand rupees. My loss is four thousand rupees. From where will I fill this money. He also said, we are people of Char. There is no crop except jute in this season, and we are incurring losses due to that jute. How to live with the family? Who will compensate the loss of jute cultivation?

Talked to some other jute farmers who came to sell jute in the market. They all have the same experience. Disappointment on the face. They demand that government should monitor to ensure fair price of jute to save farmers. So that the government buys jute directly from the farmers.

Abdul Latif, a jute trader at Kamarjani Hut, said that jute is not being exported abroad this year due to various reasons. As a result, the big jute wholesalers have not yet started buying jute from the market. Big wholesalers are not coming to market so local traders are buying jute and storing it. However, there is no guarantee whether they will be able to sell the jute purchased from the farmers to the jute mill or not.

Apart from the jute market, on the ground, the jute farmers were interviewed in various areas of Kamarjani, Dariapur and Phulchari and Palashbari upazilas of Gaibandha Sadar. At that time, the farmers said that due to drought this year, they could not raise jute in time as there was no water in the canal. In some areas jute has to be raised in irrigation water. This has cost them extra.
Mujibar Rahman, a jute grower of Oriya Union of Phulchhari Upazila, said, “It has cost 22,000 taka from 42 percent of my land to bring home jute.” I sold jute in the local market for 18 thousand taka. This year the loss of jute cultivation has to be 4 thousand rupees. I am an ordinary farmer. Where can I get this 4 thousand? In this situation, I have lost interest in jute cultivation. Monnaf Mia, a jute farmer of the same area, said, I have spent time and money on jute cultivation. From jute planting to jute cutting, I have spent about 15 thousand rupees excluding my own labor on 40 percent of the land. There is no opportunity to profit from the price of jute. Jute cultivation should be stopped if this continues.

Development organizer Saddam Hossain said jute is not being bought directly from farmers. As a result, the peddlers are profiting. He urged to open government procurement centers and buy jute directly from the farmers. Otherwise the farmers will lose interest in jute cultivation.

Khorshed Alam, deputy director of Gaibandha Agricultural Extension Department, said that this year, despite the good yield of jute, the farmers are disappointed with the market price. Many farmers will lose interest in jute cultivation if they cannot meet the cost of production. As a result, jute cultivation is likely to decrease. All concerned departments of the government should work together to ensure fair price of agricultural crops.

He also said, if necessary, a list of farmers affected by jute cultivation will be made this year. Later they will be given agricultural incentives through demonstration plots.

According to the sources of Gaibandha Agricultural Extension Directorate, the target of jute cultivation has been set in about 15 thousand 595 hectares of land in the district. Out of this jute has been cultivated in 14 thousand 313 hectares. Which is 1 thousand 282 hectares less than the target.