Jute farmers are hard hit by flood in Bogura

This year's floods have caused severe damage to jute farmers in East Bogura. Jute plants have been damaged due to water logging in the land for a long time. Those who cut jute in the flood waters and extracted the fiber from the rotting are also not getting good prices in the market.

Practically jute is cultivated more or less in all the upazillas of Bogura district. However, jute is cultivated more in Gabtali, Sariakandi, Sonatala, Dhunat and some parts of Sherpur upazila of East Bogura.

But in last July and August there were two floods in the district. The flood water entered most of the jute lands in 5 upazilas of the district. In particular, jute lands in Sonatala, Sariakandi and Dhunat upazilas have been severely damaged.

According to the Agriculture Department, jute was cultivated in 13,619 hectares of land in Bogura district this year. Jute cultivation exceeded the target of the Department of Agriculture every year due to its low cost and high profit. This year, the agriculture department has set a target of cultivating jute in 13,415 hectares of land.

However, jute was cultivated in excess 204 hectares of land exceeding the target. But the two-phase floods caused huge losses to jute farmers. This year the production target was set at 26,458 metric tons. Jute plants have been submerged in the flood waters.

The farmers said that the jute land was flooded for a long time due to the floods. As a result, the quality of jute fiber was affected and lost quality. So the price is not available in the market.

It has been found that new jute manure is being sold in the market from Taka 1,500 to Taka 2,300. But last year the farmers sold jute at a minimum price of two thousand rupees.

Jewel Hossain, a farmer from Charbatia village in Sariakandi upazila, said he had cultivated jute on 20 bighas of char land this time. His 5 bighas of land have been destroyed due to the flood waters.

Mohammad Sarkar, a farmer from Chhota Kutubpur village, said he cultivated jute on three bighas of land. Of this, two bighas of jute land have rotted in the flood waters.

Shahaduzzaman, additional deputy director of the Bogra Agriculture Extension Department, told Barta24.com that 4,056 hectares of land in the district has been completely destroyed by floods this season. So far 50 percent of the land has been cut. Due to the floods, it is getting late to cut jute from the land.