Although there has been a bumper jute yield this season in Natore’s Lalpur upazila, farmers are in difficulty because they cannot cut the jute on time owing to a severe shortage of labourers. Even with good production, this has raised doubts about the expected profit.
According to the upazila agriculture office, jute has been grown this year on 8,665 hectares of land in Lalpur, more than the target. Thanks to favourable weather and the use of improved seed, the yield has also been promising. But many farmers are anxious because they cannot cut the jute on time owing to the labour shortage.
According to local farmers, there is potential for a yield of 8 to 10 maunds of jute per bigha. Good-quality jute is selling in the market at 3,400 to 4,500 taka a maund. So although there is potential for profit, there is a fear that if the jute is not cut on time the quality of the fibre will suffer and prices will fall.
Farmers Abdullah and Sumon of Arbab union said: “Even by raising wages we cannot get labourers. As a result we cannot cut the jute on time.”
A farmer of Chongdhupail union, Firoz Ahmed, said there is enough water for retting. But if there is a delay in cutting the jute, the quality of the fibre will deteriorate.
A farmer of the Durduria area, Shahidul Islam, said: “Labourers used to be easy to find, but now many have moved to other occupations and the labour shortage in farm work has become severe.”
A farmer of the Duaria area, Yunus Ali Faraji, said the same: “If we cannot cut the jute on time, there is a risk of major losses.”
The jute trader Atiar Rahman said: “Even if jute prices are good in the market, farmers will not get the price they want if the quality of the fibre is not right. Cutting and retting the jute on time is therefore essential.”
On this, the Lalpur upazila agriculture officer, Pritam Kumar, said that although jute production is good, the labour shortage is a major challenge. Farmers are being advised to cut the jute quickly through coordination among themselves.
All in all, although there is potential for a bumper yield, that potential has now turned into anxiety for Lalpur’s farmers because of the labour shortage.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report