Khulna Correspondent:

Jute harvesting has been completed in the Khulna region in the last week of May achieving 96 percent target.

Farmers harvested 1.76 metric tonnes of Jute from 38,218 hectares of land in the region, against the target of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) to produce 2 lakh metric tonnes from 39,857 hectares of land in Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira and Narail.

DAE sources said farmers harvested 1.75 metric tonnes of Tosha jute from 38,052 hectares of land, 583 tonnes of local jute from 113 hectares of land and 249 tonnes of Mesta Jute from 53 acres of land.

According to the DAE, jute cultivation has increased as the current market price of jute is favourable both in local and foreign markets.

Jute farmers became happy with a good yield of jute as the weather was favourable. Farmers said that there was a time when jute was cultivated in all four districts in the Khulna agri-zone. But, due to fall in price, jute cultivation gradually declined.

Farmers became interested in jute cultivation due to recent increase in the market price of jute in the global markets and government’s support to the farmers for jute cultivation.

Additional Director of DAE Khulna Rafiqul Islam jute cultivation increases the fertility of the lands and intensity of grain cultivation. Promotion of jute fiber and jute made products has created demand and value of the environment friendly crop.

He said incentives were provided under the Advanced Technology Based Jute and Jute Seed Expansion Project to train up farmers on cultivation and use of chemical fertilizers.