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Growers widen jute farming

Sohel Parvez
Jute acreage has increased this year as farmers, inspired by higher prices, are bringing more lands under cultivation of the cash crop.
The higher acreage is likely to boost production if weather conditions remain favourable in the days to come, growers and agriculture officials said.
“Our preliminary estimates show that acreage has increased to about 13 lakh acres from 10 lakh acres a year ago,” said Mahmudul Huq Bhuiyan, director general of the Department of Jute.
Shamsur Rahman, a farmer at Madhukhali in Faridpur, a major jute producing area, said there are prospects of greater outputs than before.
“Except for pest attacks on some fields, the crop situation is fine," said Rahman.
He said the jute growing area in his locality has widened, as farmers are increasingly interested in reaping gains from the high prices as seen last year.
“The price of fine jute surged as high as Tk 3,000 a maund at a point. That's why farmers have taken up risks to grow an increased amount of jute," said Rahman. He is cultivating jute on 1.5acres.
The farmer said he sold jute at Tk 1,200-1,800 a maund last season, up from Tk 800-1,200 in the previous season. The jute price now hovers betweenTk 1,500andTk2,000.
Traders and jute goods makers said a production-demand gap led to the price spiral on the global and domestic markets. The price hike was also caused by speculations and a move by a section of traders to stock the natural fibre.
“The use of jute increased worldwide as it is environment-friendly,” said Sk Farook Hossain, chairman of Bangladesh Jute Association, a body of raw jute traders.
Hossain said the price of raw jute remained high in the last two years due to higher rise in demand than in production.
Raw jute production rose to 49.70 lakh bales in fiscal 2008-09 from 47.29 lakh bales a year ago, according to agriculture ministry data.
Nearly a third of raw jute is usually exported. Local mills use the rest to make jute products, mainly for exports, industry insiders said.
The agriculture extension officials said total acreage crossed the target of 4.8 lakh hectares this year. (1 hectare=2.47 acres)
"Acreage will cross five lakh hectares this year,” said Habibur Rahman, director of field services wing of the Department of Agricultural Extension.
Shamsur Rahman, the farmer from Madhukhali, fears that the high price, which lured many farmers to grow the natural fibre, might not sustain due to a rise in production. "There is a risk of a fall in prices."
Traders and jute goods makers however expect that there might not be a sharp fall in prices, as demand for jute and jute products is on the rise.
At present, about 40 lakh people are directly involved in jute cultivation, the second most important fibre after cotton.
sohel@thedailystar.net