By Aynal Haque
 
   RAJSHAHI, July 24, 2021 (BSS)- Harvesting of jute is progressing fast everywhere in all eight districts under Rajshahi division in the current season with a prediction of better yield amid the present Covid-19 pandemic.
 
   Currently, most of the growers along with their family members are very much engaged in harvesting, decomposing and segregating jute, generating seasonal job opportunities for many people amid the pandemic situation.
 
   Jute farming has exceeded target this season as interest among the growers to the cash crop farming is seen increasing everywhere in the division including its vast Barind tract.
 
   The newly harvested jute has started appearing on a limited scale. However, it will be available in the markets abundantly within the next 15 to 20 days upon starting of full-scale harvesting and decomposing activities.
 
   Siddiqur Rahman, a resident of Debipur village under Durgapur upazila, has cultivated jute on two bighas of land, saying the frequent rainfall benefited the growing plants to a greater extent.
 
   He has spent 15,000 to 16,000 for farming. He is expecting around 20 mounds yield valued around Taka 45,000 to 50,000.
 
   Apart from this, he will get jute sticks worth around 5,000 from the farming.
 
   He had sold jute at Taka 2,000 per mound during the previous year's harvesting time but its price increased gradually.
 
   Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set a target of producing around 2.62 lakh tonnes of jute from 1.25 lakh hectares of land in the division during the current season.
 
     Bet, the farmers have brought 1.29 lakh hectares under the jute farming creating scopes of additional production, said Sirajul Islam, Additional Director of DAE.
 
   Officials and farmers are very much hopeful about harvesting better jute yield in the country's northwest region this season.
 
   Farmers are humming towards the jute farming as they are getting lucrative prices for its produce during the last couple of years giving a message of getting back to the golden era of the cash crop in near future.
 
   Abdur Razzaque, a farmer of Shreepur village under Paba Upazila, said jute's golden era has started returning back.
 
   He said the role of private jute mills and the government's declaration about the mandatory use of jute bags in packaging public food grains boosted jute cultivation.
 
   Last year, the initial market price of jute was Taka 1400 to 1500 per mound. But, finally the price stood at Taka 5,200-5,500 per mound, he said.
 
   Razzaque mentioned the price could have been more if there were no syndicate of middlemen and traders. He sought government intervention in controlling the syndicate to facilitate the farmers to get fair prices.
 
   He said farmers got fair prices of jute during the last couple of years and as a result, they are now eager to cultivate more jute.
 
   Agriculturist Sirajul Islam said jute farming has started getting a brighter dimension through increasing its production and adopting other effective measures.
 
   The farmers have started adopting the latest line sowing jute technology using seeders machines saving huge seed and reducing farming costs and ribbon-retting method to get quality fiber and more profit.
 
   DAE Deputy Director Abdul Awal said necessary measures are being taken for making the farmers habituated in promoting high yielding jute varieties for boosting its production.