RAJSHAHI: Officials and farmers concerned are expecting better jute yield as the plants are growing excellent now everywhere in the region including its vast Barind tract this season, reports BSS.
Jute Cultivation increased substantially as its farming on more 10,265 hectares of land has been achieved over the fixed target in the region comprising Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj districts.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) had set a target for cultivating jute on 36,037 hectares of land whereas the farmers have finally brought 46,302 hectares under the cash crop farming.
Fazlur Rahman, Additional Director of DAE, 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. “Seven to eight years back, the farmers lost their concentration to jute cultivation as they did not get fair prices of their produce,” said the official.
Quality seeds, easy term bank loan for agri-inputs such as fertiliser, pesticides boosted jute cultivation in the region which made the farmers hopeful of jute this year.
Agriculturist Rahman said jute farming has started getting brighter dimension through increasing its production and export, ensuring adequate supply of quality seed, disbursement of more incentives and adopting other effective measures.
The farmers have started adopting the latest line sowing jute technology using seeder machines saving huge seed and reducing farming costs and ribbon-retting method to get quality fibre and more profit,” he added.
He added that necessary measures are being taken for making the farmers habituated in promoting high yielding jute varieties for boosting its production.
The growers are also being taken forward with modern varieties and technologies relating to the jute cultivation and decomposition for their benefits in the present competitive era. All the field level officials and others concerned were instructed to attain the cherished goal.
Time has come to involve more other farmers in producing high quality jute fibre and jute seeds by applying the latest technologies for fulfilling demand of jute seeds by locally produced ones.
Commissioner of Rajshahi division Abdul Hannan told BSS that increased farming of jute could revive the past glory of the golden fibre ushering in a new era in the economy as well as saving the environment and soil health from further degradation.