Photo : BSS

LALMONIRHAT, July 25, 2026 (BSS) - Farmers in northern Bangladesh's Lalmonirhat district are grappling with financial uncertainty as excessive rainfall and flooding have sharply reduced jute yields, offsetting the benefit of higher market prices for the newly harvested crop.

Like other flood-affected districts in the northern region, Lalmonirhat has begun receiving newly harvested jute at local markets. Although prices are higher than last year, farmers say heavy rains disrupted the normal growth of jute plants, resulting in reduced production.

According to farmers, most jute plants this season are between two and five feet shorter than usual, leading to a decline of around 40 to 60 kilograms of fiber per bigha. While jute plants typically grow between seven and 13 feet, many fields have failed to reach the expected height this year.

Trading of new jute has already started in union-level markets across Sadar, Aditmari, Kaliganj, Hatibandha and Patgram upazilas. Field visits revealed that waterlogging has severely affected crop growth in some areas, where plants reached only three to five feet in height, while in relatively unaffected fields they grew between six and eight feet. Farmers are currently busy retting, stripping, washing, drying and transporting the fiber to markets.

Jute trader Akkas Ali of Lalmonirhat Sadar told BSS that the opening market price this season ranges between Taka 4,000 and Taka 4,400 per maund, compared with Taka 3,400 to Taka 3,800 during the same period last year.

Farmer Amir Ali from Aditmari upazila said he sold his jute at Taka 4,000 per maund. Another farmer, Santosh Roy of Kaliganj upazila, said the current price is satisfactory but expressed concern over how long it would remain stable, as much of the crop has yet to be harvested and processed.

Habibur Rahman, a farmer and pesticide dealer from Panchagram union in Sadar upazila, said cultivating one bigha (33 decimals) of jute costs about Taka 16,000. Due to excessive rainfall, production dropped to around six maunds per bigha. At the current market price of Taka 4,000 per maund, total earnings amount to Taka 24,000, leaving a net profit of only Taka 8,000 after production costs.

"Even the profit from cultivating three bighas of jute is insufficient to support a six-member family," he said, urging the government to introduce effective financial support for farmers.

Farmer Kashem Mia from Hatibandha upazila said production costs are approximately Taka 2,500 per maund, while yields ranged between six and seven maunds per bigha. Although prices have improved, he said profit margins remain limited.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), jute has been cultivated on 4,045 hectares of land in the district this season, an increase of 730 hectares from last year. The production target has been set at 49,549 metric tonnes.

Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Khandaker Sohel Ahmed said excessive rainfall during the sowing and seedling stages hampered the normal growth of jute plants.

Deputy Director of the district DAE Dr Md Saikhul Arifin said jute prices are encouraging this season. However, while production has declined in some flood-affected areas due to excessive rainfall, satisfactory yields are still expected in many other parts of the district.