Bumper jute harvest, higher prices boost hopes at Kaharol

KAHAROL, DINAJPUR, Aug 9: Jute cultivation is regaining momentum in Kaharol  Upazila of Dinajpur, where farmers are reporting bumper yields and the highest market prices in years, raising hopes of better returns from the country's traditional "golden fibre."

Farmers across the upazila's six unions are now in the busiest phase of the harvesting season, cutting, retting, washing and drying jute before taking it to local markets.

Although growers have faced some difficulty due to a shortage of water for retting, they say favourable prices have more than compensated for the additional costs.

Local markets are currently selling newly harvested jute at Tk 4,500 to Tk 4,700 per maund, compared with a maximum of Tk 3,600 per maund during the same period last year.

Trading has picked up significantly at local markets, including Kaharole Bazar, where the same price range was recorded on Saturday.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), jute cultivation in the upazila has exceeded this year's target.

The cultivation target for the current season was set at 370 hectares, compared with 360 hectares cultivated last year. Officials also said yields per bigha have been satisfactory.

However, farmers said water shortages during the peak monsoon initially made retting difficult, while rising labour costs have increased production expenses.

A farm labourer now charges between Tk 700 and Tk 800 a day, and harvesting jute from one bigha of land costs around Tk 10,000, growers said.

Farmers also said rural women are collecting jute sticks after fibre extraction for household fuel and other uses.

Anisur Rahman, a jute farmer from Dabor Union, said he sold part of his harvest to finance the transplantation of Aman paddy.

"I received Tk 4,500 per maund because the fibre was still slightly wet. After many years, we are finally getting a good price for jute," he said.

Another farmer, Abdus Samad from Sundarpur Union, also expressed satisfaction with current market prices.

Kaharol Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Jahidur Rahman acknowledged that there had been some shortage of water for retting earlier in the season but said the situation had now improved.

He said sub-assistant agriculture officers had been providing technical support and advice to farmers throughout the cultivation period.

With favourable yields and strong market prices, local farmers say they are optimistic that jute will once again become a profitable crop in the area.