The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Narail

Farmers of Narail have lost their interest in cultivating jute because of high production cost and low price of product.

Akmal Hossain Mollah, a farmer of village Dhopada under Lohagara upazila cultivated jute in four acres of land last year but this year he cultivated jute in one acre of land only. While asked about his reluctance in cultivating jute he said, now a days it becomes very difficult to get the jute rotten due to shortage of water in ponds and ditches. As an alternative we can use river water to rot jute but only the farmers of riverside can avail of the opportunity, he added.

Agriculture Extension Department (AED) sources said, this year fifteen thousand acres of land is fixed target to cultivate jute whereas only 25% land has been cultivated to grow jute.

Nazrul Islam Mondal, Deputy Director of Agriculture department said, lack of pond water to rot jute, low market price of products are the main causes of unwillingness of the farmers to grow jute and it will create a negative impact on our economy.