Jute production this year has fallen due to less demand and low prices, situations which farmers have been facing for last few years, in Nilphamari.
This year 265 hectares of land were left out from cultivating jute as many farmers did not go into the golden fibre production.
Shortage of labour, low market prices, were causes of farmers being in distress over low jute prices in all six upazilas of the district.
According to the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) 10,460 hectares of land were targeted for jute production last year; while this year it was 10,133 hectares.
Although 8,960 hectares of land were cultivated last year, but this year saw only 8,695 being cultivated.
Multiple steps taken by the government to increase the sale of jute, made the farmers more interested in producing the golden fibre, but in reality the high production cost against the selling price made them frustrated, leaving both farmers and hoarders were worried about the selling price.
Ashraf Ali, a jute farmer in the region, said: “Production cost of jute was Tk11,000 to Tk12,000 Per bigha this season, that gave around nine maund production of jute per bigha; the current market price being Tk15,300.
“Most farmers are frustrated over the selling price.”
Rubel Islam, another farmer in the district, said, he lowered his jute production because of the low profits he made last year.
Abu Musa, a jute trader at the Tupamari union jute market, said: “We are facing the same crisis as the farmers’, as the demand for jute, jute-made products have reduced among customers.”
Another trader, Rahidul Islam, said: “If farmers use modern technology in jute processing, their production cost will go down.
He added, as there was no initiative from the government in this regard, the farmers were incurring monetary losses every year.
Nilphamari DAE Deputy Director Md Abul Kashem Azad, while speaking to Dhaka Tribune, said: “Compared to other products such as nuts, wheat, paddy, mustard, corn and potatoes, the profit margin is low in jute, giving reason for farmers to lose interest in jute cultivation.”
“Polythene is a major reason why jute cultivation is decreasing, and the country losing huge amounts of export earnings,” he added.