RANGPUR, June 6, 2020 (BSS) – A bumper production of jute is expected in Rangpur agriculture region where the farmers have exceeded its fixed farming target during the current season.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said tender jute plants are growing superbly amid favourable climatic conditions predicting an abundant production of the fibre crop as its harvest will begin from the next month.
Talking to BSS today, Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Muhammad Ali said a target of producing over 5.70 lakh bales of jute fibre has been fixed from 51,592 hectares of land for the region this season.
Under the programme, farmers had to produce 5.32 lakh bales of ‘Tosha’ variety jute fibre from 47,380 hectares of land, 31,681 bales of ‘Deshi’ variety fibre from 3,512 hectares, 2,125 bales of ‘Mechta’ variety of jute from 250 hectares and 3,870 bales of Kenaf variety of jute from 450 hectares of land of land this time.
“However, the enthusiastic farmers have finally brought 51,791 hectares of land under jute cultivation exceeding the fixed farming target by 199 hectares of land or 0.39 percent this season in all five districts of the region,” Ali said.
Of them, farmers have cultivated jute on 8,345 hectares of land in Rangpur, 14,550 hectares in Gaibandha, 18,371 hectares in Kurigram, 3,540 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 6,985 hectares of land in Nilphamari districts.
“The farmers have exceeded the fixed jute farming target following various assistance, including high yielding varieties of jute seeds, provided by the government despite cultivation of Aus rice and maize on more land area in the region,” Ali added.
He said the present government has declared jute as national agricultural product and made use of jute sacs mandatory in various sectors to popularise its cultivation and increase demand for ensuring fair price.
The DAE and other recommended government and non-government organisations and dealers supplied locally produced high quality and imported jute seeds to the farmers.
“In addition to this, the government has taken ample steps and field level agriculture officials are assisting farmers and providing the latest technologies to them to expand jute cultivation to revive past glory of the fibre,” he added.
Necessary training and inputs have been provided to farmers for separating and rotting of jute fibre adopting latest technologies to ensure better quality to enable them in getting higher price of their produced jute.
Talking to BSS, farmers Echhahaq Ali, Ariful Haque, Mizanur Rahman, Mahmudul Islam, Ekramul Haque, Zabed Ali and Abdul Hye of different villages in Rangpur Sadar upazila said the tender jute plants are growing superbly predicting a bumper production.
Similarly, farmers Sohel Rana, Mostafizur Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain and Mofizar Rahman of Taraganj upazila in Rangpur said that they are expecting a super bumper jute production this season.