Farmers in the region, comprising five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari, are sowing jute seeds, deputy director at the department’s Rangpur regional office Mohammad Afzal Hossain said as per domestic media reports.
Bangladesh’s department of agricultural extension aims at producing 709,799 bales of jute from 54,669 hectares in the Rangpur region between mid-March and mid-July.
Farmers will produce 6,61,085 bales of ‘tosha’ variety from 49,950 hectares, 38,244 bales of ‘deshi’ variety from 3,774 hectares, 3,040 bales of ‘mechta’ variety from 320 hectares and 7.410 bales of ‘kenaf’ variety from 650 hectares.
Farmers will produce 6,61,085 bales of ‘tosha’ variety of jute from 49,950 hectares, 38,244 bales of ‘deshi’ variety from 3,774 hectares, 3,040 bales of ‘mechta’ variety from 320 hectares and 7.410 bales of ‘kenaf’ variety of jute from 650 hectares this season.
Jute will be cultivated on 9,950 hectares of land in Rangpur district, 14,560 hectares in Gaibandha, 17,250 hectares in Kurigram, 3,940 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 6,369 hectares in Nilphamari district this season.
The department is providing necessary training to farmers to separate and decompose jute fibres in case of water scarcity so that they can ensure better quality to get higher prices of the golden fibres.
Meanwhile, the country’s environment, forest and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has said jute shopping bags will be offered to people at subsidised prices as an alternative to polythene shopping bags.
She said awareness campaigns will be conducted to encourage people to use jute bags and new entrepreneurs will be offered support for producing jute bags.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
