Growers are expecting a bumper jute harvest in the current season too if weather remains favourble.  Jute farmers of six upazilas of Jhenidah district aim to achieve the production target this season. According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Jhenidah, the jute growers met the production target 2,13,678 bales in 2013-14. And in 2014-15, jute farmers cultivated 21,065 hectares of land and fulfilled the production target of 2, 31,715 bales. Rustom Ali, a marginal farmer of sadar upazila, said: “I have cultivated jute on one bigha of my land. Last year, the yield was 10.5 maund jute in one bigha of land. The total cost was Tk 10,800. I sold jute at Tk. 1,300 per mound in the local market. My total income was Tk 13,650 from jute and Tk 3,000 from jute stick.” Abdul Goni, another jute farmer from Harinakundu upazila, said he expects to get a bumper harvest of jute this year like in the previous year. Deputy Director (DD) of Jhenidah AED Shah Md. Akramul Haque said jute sowing target has been achieved by the jute growers of Jhenidah in current season. If the farmers get favorable weather in this season they will get a back-to-back bumper yield. This will be possible because different state-run agencies and banks, including BADC, BCIC, Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Sonali Bank, have disbursed interest-free loans among the farmers to make the production of jute a success.  In Jamalpur, the DAE has fixed a target of jute cultivation on 46,266 hectares of land with  a production target of 493,881 bales of jute in the district this year. According to the DAE office, four varieties of jute are being cultivated in the district, of which Deshi variety on 5841 hectares, Tosha variety on 38547 hectares, Mesta variety on 124 hectares and Kenaf variety on 1754 hectares. The upazila-wise break up of land is as follows: 3488 hectares in Jamalpur sadar upazila, 5682 hectares in Sarishabari, 15879 hectares in Islampur, 3469 hectares in Melandah ,6346 hectares in Dewanganj, 7304 hectares in Madarganj and 3998 hectares in Bakshiganj . The office said in the last year, 465072 bales of jute was produced on 46095 hectares of land in the district. According to Seeds Marketing office, a wing of BADC, sources, jute seeds of Tosha variety amounting to 2026 kgs and Deshi variety 41075 kgs have been allotted for sale in the district. The office said only 22900 kgs of Deshi variety were seed sold till April 26 this year through its 228 registered dealers in the district. DAE office said farmers have already cultivated jute on 26248 hectares of land till April 26. The office said about 80 percent of the farmers, who have harvested BRRI-28 paddy, will cultivate jute on the same land.