Demands for raw jute of Khulna’s Daulatpur, the second-largest raw jute market in the country, increased in India and Pakistan.
Previously, China was the largest importer of raw jute from this region.
However, due to high demand from Indian and Pakistani jute mills, they are procuring raw jute from Daulatpur in Khulna.
Most of the raw jute comes to Daulatpur jute mills from Madaripur, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Shariatpur and Kushtia districts.
In response to growing foreign demand, the region will begin cultivating BJRI-9, an improved variety of jute, from next year.
According to the jute traders, the season of jute is from April to August.
Its cultivation begins in April while harvesting starts by the last week of July and ends by the last week of August. Within 110-120 days, cutting, retting and fibre separation are completed.
During the season, the traders brought different varieties of jute such as Meshta, Sada and Tosha to Daulatpur from the southern districts of the country. As the season ends, the stocks of raw jute decrease.
Besides, the government’s ban on polythene has also boosted the demand of jute-based products, leading to increase the acceptance of local private jute mills.
Jute is primarily grown in Paikgacha and Dumuria upazilas of greater Khulna, as well as in Tala, Kalaroa and the district headquarters of Satkhira and Mollahat in Bagerhat. The Tosha variety yields the best results in this region.
According to Department of Jute, Khulna Division, Tosha jute is being sold at Taka 3,100 to Taka 3,300 per maund in local markets such as Chuknagar in Dumuria, Jhaudanga and Patkelghata in Satkhira, and Mollahat and Chitalmari in Bagerhat while the price of this variety ranged between Taka 2,300 and Taka 2,400 per maund last year.
Jute prices fluctuate based on foreign demand and the dollar exchange rate, sources of the Department of Jute mentioned.
In September, 2024, Meshta jute was sold at Taka 3500-4000 per maund, Sada at Taka 2800-3000 per maund and Tosha at Taka 3,200-3,500 per maund.
Talking to BSS, Assistant Director (Jute) Department of Jute, Khulna Md Nazrul Islam Khan said demands for raw jute have increased in the jute mills of India and Pakistan.
Due to low prices in the last season, Indian farmers reduced jute cultivation, creating a supply gap that is now being met by Khulna’s jute markets. Previously, China was the largest buyer of raw jute, he said.
He, however, said jute production increased in southern areas due to favourable weather as the demands of jute goods and raw jute are increasing day by day in the country and abroad for the safety net of the environment.
As a result, demand for raw jute and jute goods exports are increasing in Pakistan and India as well as China. While talking to BSS, Basudev Haldar, jute development officer at the Khulna Jute Research Institute, said farmers are now keenly interested in jute cultivation as the previous glory of the golden fiver started to return in the country.
He said farmers are now getting a fair price. The government has taken massive initiatives including training, intensive and seeds among the farmers to increase its production in the region, he added.
Niloy Mallik, assistant jute development officer in Dumuria, said local farmers are shifting from shrimp farming to jute cultivation.
To encourage production, 1,000 farmers in the upazila are receiving free seeds and fertilizers with each farmer getting 12 kilograms of fertilizer and one-kg of seeds, he said.
From the upcoming season, districts in the southern region will start cultivating the high-yield BJRI-9 variety.
Currently, the production of BJRI-9 is expected to increase at 80 maunds per hectare while the Tosha variety yields at 65 maunds per hectare.
According to the Khulna Export Promotion Bureau, a total of 834,674 bales of raw jute were exported from Khulna’s markets in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
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