Jute farmers are frustrated as they are not getting the expected price in the absence of the government drive to procure jute at fair prices.
They expressed their dissatisfaction as jute prices price had fallen much this year and feared that they would not be able to recover even the production cost.
They said that prices of a maund (37.3.kg) of jute ranged between Tk 800 and Tk 1,800 while the prices in the last season ranged between Tk 1,500 and Tk 2,500. The high price of jute in the last season inspired the farmers to grow more jute this year.
Although the harvest of jute this year started about a month ago, the state-run Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation is yet to set the procurement price.
The corporation usually sets the procurement price before harvest to contain price manipulation on the market.
Farmers of Pakerhat in Dianjpur sold jute for prices between Tk 800 and Tk 1,000 a maund on Saturday.
Abdul Hamid, a farmer of the area, said that he had been disappointed at the price for which he had sold jute was below the production cost.
He said that a few days ago, jute was selling for prices between Tk 1200 and Tk1400 at Pakerhat but the prices were gradually falling.
In Thakurgaon, a maund of jute is selling for prices between Tk 1,200 and Tk 1,300 much to the disappointment of local farmers.
Abu Saleh Md Fattah of Baghmara in Rajshahi said that the production was good this year. He expected that the government would set the procurement price at Tk 2,000 a maund which would give farmers a satisfactory profit margin.
Another farmer, Manoranjan Das, of Mahamudkati at Paikgachha in Khulna said that he had to sell some of his jute for Tk 1,000 a mound on the local market and the prices ranged between Tk 900 and Tk 1,200 on Thursday.
He said that he had been encouraged to grow jute as he had received good price in the past season. He, however, said if the level the price had fallen this year continued, farmers would not longer grow jute in coming years.
Traders at Shailkupa in Jhenaidah, Chandpur in Rajbari and Baghmara in Rajshahi said that jute prices ranged between Tk 1,200 and Tk 1,800 a maund depending on the quality of the fibre, its length, colour and moisture.
'The price was between Tk 2000 an Tk 2400 a maund in the past season,' said Mohammad Kawsar Morol, a trader of Chandpur in Rajbari.
The Bangladesh Jute Association's president Mahbubul Hauque said that the price this year had declined much compared with the prices of the past year.
He said that the jute grown in Jessore and Kushtia was selling for prices between Tk 1,200 and Tk 1,400, down by about Tk 800 a maund from the the price of the last year, the jute grown in the north was selling for prices between Tk 1,500 and Tk 1,800 down by about Tk 500 and the jute grown in Faridpur was selling for prices between Tk 1,800 and Tk 2,200, down by about Tk 4,00.
A high BJMC official said that they were buying jute at their buying centers and at mill gate at market price.
'Buying jute at market price means that there was a possibility of controlling the price by traders and misappropriation by both mill officials and traders,' said Hafizur Rahman Bhuian, joint convener of the Jute, Yarn and Textile Workers and Employees' Action Coordination Committee.
The leader said that the government should set a price which would benefit the farmers.
'The price of jute ranges between Tk 800 and Tk 1,300 per maund in most of the areas and if the government does not set the price, traders and middlemen will be benefited when farmers' stock is finished,' said Sajjad Jahir Chanda, general secretary of the Bangladesh Krishak Samiti.
He demanded that the government should set the price at Tk 2,000 a maund.
Source : New Age
