Chuadanga farmers fear losses as water scarcity hampers jute retting
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Sunday
February 05, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 05, 2023
Chuadanga farmers fear losses as water scarcity hampers jute retting

Economy

Mahfuz Mamun
08 August, 2021, 10:30 am
Last modified: 08 August, 2021, 03:31 pm

Related News

  • 14 Bangladeshi SMEs to exhibit jute products at a New York trade show on 5-8 February
  • Chuadanga records season’s lowest temperature at 6.3 degree Celsius
  • PM for considering jute as an agri product
  • Cold wave to continue 2-3 days, Chuadanga records lowest temp at 8.4°C
  • India extends anti-dumping duty on jute goods from Bangladesh, Nepal

Chuadanga farmers fear losses as water scarcity hampers jute retting

They fear losses of around Tk4.5 crore this year

Mahfuz Mamun
08 August, 2021, 10:30 am
Last modified: 08 August, 2021, 03:31 pm
Photo: Collected
Photo: Collected

Farmers in Chuadanga are in dire straits as the harvesting of jute has come to a standstill, thanks to the lack of proper facilities for decomposing jute plants, including a water crisis.  

They fear huge losses this year if the water crisis persists as fine quality fibres cannot be extracted without properly retting jute plants. They may incur losses of about Tk3,000-4,000 per bigha of land. 

Farmers' suffering doubled because of the water crisis coupled with low market price of jute. If the market price is low, jute farmers in the district may lose about Tk4.5 crore.

Jute growers could not decompose jute due to a shortage of water caused by low rainfalls even in the middle of Sraban (the beginning of August). 

Retting of jute plants is hampered as canals, rivers, ditches, and ponds in the district are drying up due to water scarcity, jute growers said. 

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Chuadanga, jute has been cultivated on 20,527 hectares of land this year while it was cultivated on 16,730 hectares last year.

Jute has been cultivated on 1,050 hectares in Chuadanga Sadar upazila, 7,245 hectares in Alamdanga, 10,535 hectares in Damurhuda, and 1,697 hectares in Jibannagar upazila.

Farmers are not cutting jute although it is time to harvest the crop. Even if some farmers cut jute, the crop is drying up in the field due to the scarcity of water.

From planting seeds to growing the jute -- including buying seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, laborers' wages--, the cost of cultivating jute in every bigha of land is Tk10,000-12,000.

Farmers have to pay Tk7-8 for decomposing one bundle of jute under the knee-deep water in the pond. There is an additional cost to hire workers and vehicles to take jute from distant fields. Workers have to pay Tk350-Tk400 per day which is about Tk150 more than other times.

The DAE has set a target of 71,844 tonnes of jute production from 20,527 hectares of land this season. There may be a loss of Tk3,000-Tk4,000 per bigha due to the water scarcity alone.

Jute is sold for Tk1,400 to Tk1,900 per maund. Farmers may face losses due to low prices. Last year, the price of jute was Tk3,000-Tk6,000 per maund.

The jute farmers in the district may lose about Tk4.5 crore as retting of jute plants is hampered by poor rainfall.

Nasir Uddin, a jute farmer from Damurhuda upazila, said this time they are in dire straits by cultivating jute. This year he has cultivated jute on five bighas of land with loan. Jute is drying up in the land as there is no water anywhere.  

"If there is a loss, I will cultivate another crop instead of jute."

Abdul Awal, another farmer of Muktarpur village in Damurhuda upazila, said he had to spend Tk10,000-Tk12,000 in cultivating jute on one bigha of land. He has to count the loss of Tk3,000-Tk4,000, pushing him in dire straits.

Joynal Hossain, the owner of a jute warehouse in the Damurhuda police station area, said farmers are bringing a small volume of jute.  He is buying jute at Tk1,600-Tk2,000 per maund depending on quality. The price of wet jute is a bit lower.  Farmers are not able to harvest jute due to the scarcity of water.

Sufi Md Rafiquzzaman, acting deputy director of Chuadanga DAE office, said due to low rainfalls, the farmers are facing problems in rotting green jute this year. Without proper harvesting, the jute industry has to face problems with the bad quality of fibre. 

"We asked the farmers to decompose jute in government-owned beels and rivers. In the ribbon retting method, the fibre can be removed from the stem by decomposing the jute in a little water. Farmers will get good prices if they can harvest the jute properly."

Top News

Jute / Jute farmers / Jute Industry in Bangladesh / Jute retting / Chuadanga / Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE)

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Bangladesh likely to get back the money borrowed by Sri Lanka: FM
    Bangladesh likely to get back the money borrowed by Sri Lanka: FM
  • Master plan for futuristic Chattogram city in the making
    Master plan for futuristic Chattogram city in the making
  • Consumers should pay the actual costs to get gas and electricity: PM
    Consumers should pay the actual costs to get gas and electricity: PM

MOST VIEWED

  • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo
    IMF approves $4.7 billion loan for Bangladesh, calls for ambitious reforms
  • Will reform pledges to IMF work this time?
    Will reform pledges to IMF work this time?
  • Infographic: TBS
    Bangladesh in better position than Sri Lanka, Pakistan to navigate forex crisis: UCB Asset Management
  • Illustration: TBS
    Biz leaders want crisis management, energy security for survival
  • Reconditioned vehicles running out of stock as traders fail to open LCs
    Reconditioned vehicles running out of stock as traders fail to open LCs
  • Despite downturn 3 dozen listed firms plan Tk7,500cr investment
    Despite downturn 3 dozen listed firms plan Tk7,500cr investment

Related News

  • 14 Bangladeshi SMEs to exhibit jute products at a New York trade show on 5-8 February
  • Chuadanga records season’s lowest temperature at 6.3 degree Celsius
  • PM for considering jute as an agri product
  • Cold wave to continue 2-3 days, Chuadanga records lowest temp at 8.4°C
  • India extends anti-dumping duty on jute goods from Bangladesh, Nepal

Features

Aarong never ceases to surprise with their vibrant ensemble perfect for Fagun looks. Photo: Courtesy

Say it with Colours

5h | Mode
Photo: Courtesy

From 'Made in Bangladesh' to 'Designed in Bangladesh'

7h | Panorama
Google must adjust to a world where content is increasingly generated by AI. Photo: Bloomberg

Google will join the AI wars, pitting LaMDA against ChatGPT

4h | Panorama
The megaproject Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has a debt of Tk90,474 crore. Photo: Courtesy

Projects funded with debt need to be selected prudently, and implemented timely

5h | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Lack of coordination, policy biggest problems

Lack of coordination, policy biggest problems

1h | TBS Round Table
Industries panicked about continuing stresses on profitability

Industries panicked about continuing stresses on profitability

2h | TBS Round Table
One meal at Tk 20

One meal at Tk 20

2h | TBS Stories
International award at the age of 23

International award at the age of 23

2h | TBS Entertainment

Most Read

1
Leepu realised his love for cars from a young age and for the last 40 years, he has transformed, designed and customised hundreds of cars. Photo: Collected
Panorama

'I am not crazy about cars anymore': Nizamuddin Awlia Leepu

2
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo
Economy

IMF approves $4.7 billion loan for Bangladesh, calls for ambitious reforms

3
Fund cut as Dhaka's fast-track transit projects on slow spending lane
Infrastructure

Fund cut as Dhaka's fast-track transit projects on slow spending lane

4
Photo: Collected
Court

Japanese mother gets guardianship of daughters, free to leave country

5
Belal Ahmed new acting chairman of SIBL
Banking

Belal Ahmed new acting chairman of SIBL

6
Photo: Collected
Startups

ShopUp secures $30m debt financing to boost expansion, supply chain

EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net