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Low jute price frustrates growers in Kurigram

UNB, Kurigram
Low prices of jute in the local market have frustrated growers of the district this year.
Local farmers cultivated jute with great enthusiasm in nine upazilas of the district this year as there was good harvest as well as satisfactory price of jutelastyear.
However, now they have been gripped with anxiety as the market price of jute is much below their expectation.
Department of Agriculture Extension sources here said about 21,111 hectares of land were brought under jute farming in the district this year. Of the total land, jute on 3,059 hectares was damaged due to flood.
The government fixed the rate of per maund jute at Tk 2,200 but the local prominent businessmen, licensed by the government, refused
to buy jute at the official rate, said farmers.
The farmers alleged that the businessmen are buying jute at low prices in a bid to get more profit, which affected the growers badly.
The growers said they have been deprived of getting fair price from June this year as a syndicate of middlemen remained active in the market.
At present, per maund jute is being sold between Tk 700 and Tk 1,600 depending on quality, which is lower than that of the previous year.
Though the price of jute was less this year, the cost of jute processing has increased much adding to the situation, farmers said.
Farmers Mostafizur and Mohammad Ali of Gorai Raghura village in Sadar upazila said they cultivated jute on six bighas of land with a big hope. But they said they were frustrated due to low
price in the local market.
They blamed the middlemen for the sorry state of jute market.
When asked to comment on low price, Matiur Rahman, a jute trader of Durgapur, said that the demand of jute at wholesale depots declined. “Hence, we are compelled to buy jute at low prices,” he said.
Protip Kumar Mondal, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension, said jute on 3,000 hectares of land was damaged due to recent flood.
Though the market price of jute was fixed at Tk 2,200, the growers failed to sell their produce at such rate, which frustrated them very much.
However, he declined to explain reasons for the downfall of jute price.
The farmers may be benefited if the market monitoring system is strengthened, said the official.