Jute prices have risen in the market, but farmers’ profits have not risen proportionately. Alongside rising costs for fertilizer, diesel, pesticides and labor wages, excessive rainfall has reduced yields, so farmers aren’t seeing the benefit of the higher prices either. As a result, jute — once known as the “golden fiber” — has become, for many farmers, more a crop for survival than for profit.
Trading in new-season jute has begun at various markets in Sirajganj. Depending on quality, jute is selling for 4,300 to 5,000 taka per maund. Compared with 3,500 to 4,200 taka per maund at the start of last season, this year’s prices are somewhat higher. But with production costs up and yields down due to excessive rain, farmers are still not seeing the profit they hoped for, even at these higher prices.
A field visit to various areas of Sadar, Kazipur, Raiganj, Kamarkhand, Belkuchi, Tarash, Shahjadpur and Ullapara upazilas in the district found farmers busy retting jute, extracting fiber, washing, drying and marketing it.
Speaking with farmers, it emerged that excessive rain this season prevented jute plants from reaching normal height in many areas. Jute plants typically grow 7 to 12 feet tall, but this year they fell short by 2 to 4 feet in many areas. Farmers say this has reduced fiber production by an average of 40 to 55 kilograms per bigha.
At Chandaikona Bazar in Raiganj, traders were seen buying jute at 4,300 to 5,000 taka per maund, depending on quality. But farmers say even this price isn’t enough given the rise in production costs. Rezaul Sheikh, a farmer from Dhangara village in Raiganj upazila, said, “This year, the price of everything has gone up — fuel, fertilizer, pesticides and labor wages.” He is currently selling his jute at 4,500 taka per maund. Although the price is somewhat better, he remains worried about whether it will hold throughout the season.
Rezaul Sheikh added, “There isn’t much profit in growing jute anymore. Because of this, I’m gradually losing interest in jute cultivation.”
Altaf Hossain, a farmer from Pangashi village in the same upazila, said he produced 6 maunds of jute this year on one bigha of land. Selling at 4,200 taka per maund, that comes to 25,200 taka total. Yet even excluding the value of his own labor, his costs came to about 18,000 taka.
He said, “After deducting production costs, the profit from one bigha over three months, in exchange for my own labor, comes to only about 7,000 taka. Because of the excessive rain, jute production fell by 2 to 3 maunds per bigha this year.”
Calling the golden fiber now a “fiber of sorrow” for farmers, Makbul Sheikh, a farmer in Kazipur upazila, said it costs him about 2,600 taka to produce each maund of jute. This year, he produced 6 to 7 maunds per bigha. Although market prices have risen somewhat, the drop in yield means there isn’t much profit.
Expressing frustration, he said, “Jute fiber used to be called the golden fiber. Now jute fiber has become the farmer’s fiber of sorrow.”