The demand for raw jute from Khulna's Daulatpur, the second-largest raw jute market in the country, has increased in India and Pakistan.
Previously, China was the largest importer of raw jute from this region.
However, due to rising demand from jute mills in India and Pakistan, they are now procuring raw jute from Daulatpur in Khulna.
Most of the raw jute comes to Daulatpur jute mills from the districts of Madaripur, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Shariatpur, and Kushtia.
In response to the growing foreign demand, the region will begin cultivating BJRI-9, an improved variety of jute, starting next year.
According to jute traders, the jute season lasts from April to August.
Cultivation begins in April, while harvesting starts in the last week of July and continues through to the last week of August.
In a span of 110-120 days, the process of cutting, retting, and fiber separation is completed.
During the season, traders bring different varieties of jute, such as Meshta, Sada, and Tosha, to Daulatpur from the southern districts of the country.
As the season ends, the stock of raw jute decreases.
Furthermore, the government's ban on polythene has boosted the demand for jute-based products, leading to increased acceptance of local private jute mills.
Jute is primarily grown in the Paikgasa and Dumuria upazilas of greater Khulna, as well as in Tala, Kalaroa, the district headquarters of Satkhira, and Mollahat in Bagerhat.
The Tosha variety yields the best results in this region.
According to the Department of Jute, Khulna Division, Tosha jute is being sold at Tk3,100 to Tk3,300 per maund in local markets such as Chuknagar in Dumuria, Jhaudanga and Patkelghata in Satkhira, and Mollahat and Chitalmari in Bagerhat.
Last year, the price of this variety ranged between Tk2,300 and Tk2,400 per maund.
Jute prices fluctuate based on foreign demand and the dollar exchange rate, as noted by sources in the Department of Jute.
In September 2024, Meshta jute was sold at Tk3,500-4,000 per maund, Sada at Tk2,800-3,000 per maund, and Tosha at Tk3,200-3,500 per maund.
Talking to BSS, Md Nazrul Islam Khan, assistant director at the Department of Jute, Khulna, said that demand for raw jute has increased in the jute mills of India and Pakistan.
Due to low prices in the previous season, Indian farmers reduced jute cultivation, creating a supply gap that is now being met by Khulna's jute markets.
Md Nazrul also mentioned that China was once the largest buyer of raw jute.
He added that jute production has increased in southern areas due to favorable weather conditions, as both the demand for jute goods and raw jute are rising in both domestic and international markets, driven by environmental concerns.
As a result, the demand for raw jute and jute goods exports is increasing in Pakistan, India, and China.
Basudeb Halder, a jute development officer at the Khulna Jute Research Institute, told BSS that farmers are now more interested in jute cultivation as the previous glory of the "golden fiber" is beginning to return to the country.
He said that farmers are receiving fair prices for their crops, and the government has taken substantial initiatives, including training and providing seeds, to increase production in the region.
Niloy Mallik, assistant jute development officer in Dumuria, said that local farmers are shifting from shrimp farming to jute cultivation.
To encourage production, 1,000 farmers in the upazila are receiving free seeds and fertilizers, with each farmer getting 12 kilograms of fertilizer and 1kg of seeds.
From the upcoming season, districts in the southern region will begin cultivating the high-yielding BJRI-9 variety.
Currently, the BJRI-9 variety is expected to yield 80 maunds per hectare, while the Tosha variety yields 65 maunds per hectare.
According to the Khulna Export Promotion Bureau, a total of 834,674 bales of raw jute were exported from Khulna's markets in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
