& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Falling prices hurting jute farmers

AmiNUL ISLAM, Mymensingh .
Nosediving prices and delays in taking decisions on government purchase rates of jute have appeared as a source of frustration to the country's thousands of jute growers.
Jute farmers are now selling their produce at cheap prices to mobilise expenses for the ongoing Boro cultivation, farmers at Char Kharicha and Shambhuganj Bazar in sadar upazila of Mymensingh told The Daily Star.
"The time has now come for us to determine whether we should go for large scale jute cultivation in future or not," a grower said in agony.
It has become tough to realise even the cultivation cost, he said.
Two varieties of jute—local and tosha—are now available in different markets in Tarakanda, Amuakanda, Muktagachha, Dapunia, Bigonebari, Biddyaganj
and Phulbaria of the district.
Businessmen said they bought early season jute at Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,600 a maund, depending on qualities and varieties, and the prices may fall further.
Each maund of local jute was selling at Tk 800 to Tk 900 in August, much higher than its present price ofTk 600.
Prices of tosha jute also experienced a fall from Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200 a maund in August to Tk 850 to Tk 900 a maund now, farmers said.
Abdul Gafur, a farmer at village Jaugara in sadar upazila, said he produced 12 maunds of tosha jute on 60 decimal of lands and sold the produce at Tk 20,000, which is "not reasonable" at all compared with the production cost.
Nurul Islam from Subaliapara in Phulpur said he sold five maunds of local jute at Tk 820 a maund in Shambhuganj Bazar on Thursday. "The price is very disappointing."
"My this year's jute produced on a land of 31 decimals may cause me incur serious losses due to the huge price fall," said Hasmat Ali, another jute grower at Char Kharicha Bazar in sadar upazila.
Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation stopped buying jute from the suppliers last month, which will surely leave a negative impact on the market, said Mahtab Uddin, a supplier at Shambhuganj Bazar.
But Tota Miah, a middleman at the market, said the suppliers do not contact with them now. "We are buying jute and stocking it in our godowns."
Faruq Miah, another middleman said, he has so far stocked over 200 maunds of jute in his godown.
The government purchase rate of jute has not yet been fixed, which is depriving the growers from getting fair prices for their product, said Amjad Hossain, a businessman at Char Kharicha Bazar.
Jute cultivation has decreased this year in Mymensingh region due to its low prices last year, officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension said.
The target for jute cultivation was 10,495 hectares this year, but it was produced only on 8,988 hectares, officials said.
Falling prices of jute harm the farmers' interest in cultivating the crop, said Narayan Chandra Basak, deputy director of the DAE.
If the farmers do not get fair prices for jute for some consecutive years, it will greatly affect cultivation of the cash crop, Basak said.
To encourage the growers again, each maund of jute should be priced atTk 1,500 toTk 1,800, and a proper market policy should be developed, DAE officials said.
The middlemen will eat up the real profit if there is no farmerfriendly market policy for the crop, they said.