Jute cultivation in Khulna agricultural region has exceeded the seasonal target, with favourable weather, higher prices and growing demand for eco-friendly products encouraging farmers to expand the crop.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), farmers in Khulna, Bagerhat, Narail and Satkhira have cultivated jute on 38,361 hectares this year, surpassing the target of 38,287 hectares.
With the peak harvesting season now underway, farmers across the region are busy harvesting jute, while canals, beels, rivers and ponds have turned into busy sites for retting, fibre extraction and drying.
So far, farmers have harvested jute from 20,083 hectares, producing around 90,535 tonnes of fibre — about 51.9% of the region’s cultivated area.
During a recent visit to Terokhada upazila in Khulna, hundreds of men and women were seen working along the Atharobeki River and nearby beels in Baoisona and Kolabaria villages.
Women’s participation in post-harvest processing was particularly noticeable. Many women separate fibre from retted jute without entering the water, often taking jute sticks instead of cash as payment.
“I extract jute fibre in exchange for keeping the jute sticks,” said Jharna Begum of Kolabaria.
Tohura Banu, a first-year student at Terokhada College, said she helps her family process jute during college holidays.
“I enjoy the work, and it also helps my family,” she said.
Mahmud Gazi, who was working in the Atharobeki River, said a team of 15 labourers earns around Tk800 a day, while some workers are paid Tk5 per bundle.
Across the region, freshly extracted fibres can be seen drying on bamboo frames, bridge railings and around homesteads, while piles of jute sticks line village roads.
Farmers said favourable rainfall has made retting easier this year.
Mahtab Hossain of Baoisona village, who cultivated jute on three bighas, said heavy rainfall during Ashar and Sraban filled nearby water bodies, reducing the cost of transporting jute to retting sites.
However, frequent rain and limited sunshine have made drying the fibre difficult, he said.
Jute is also proving useful in maintaining the productivity of farmland between major crop seasons.
Soumen Bairagi of Golna village in Dumuria said farmers can grow jute between the wheat or pulse harvest and Aman rice cultivation, preventing land from remaining fallow.
“Early sowing in Chaitra also allows farmers to harvest jute in time for Aman transplantation,” he said.
Farmers also cited better prices and expanding domestic and international markets as key reasons behind the renewed interest in jute.
Trading of the new season’s jute has already begun at major markets in Khulna, including Khalishpur, Daulatpur and Khanjahan Ali.
Farmer Anser Ali said he sold freshly harvested jute for Tk3,700 per maund at Daulatpur market.
Veteran jute trader Fazlu Sharif, former vice-president of the Bangladesh Jute Association, said he expected prices to remain profitable for farmers and traders.
Jute is currently selling for Tk3,500-Tk4,500 per maund, with prices expected to rise further as marketing gains momentum.
Md Rafiqul Islam, additional director of the Khulna Agriculture Region, said average production currently stands at around 8.5 maunds per bigha and is expected to increase as harvesting continues.
“Abundant rainfall this season created favourable conditions for jute retting,” he said.
He attributed the rise in cultivation partly to increasing global demand for environmentally friendly products, saying higher prices have encouraged farmers to expand the crop.
The government has also provided incentives, while the agriculture department is supporting farmers through training and modern production technologies, he added.
