Langaleswar: At one point in time, thousands of farmers living in the riparian areas of the Subarnarekha river under Baliapal block in Balasore used to cultivate jute on a large scale. Jute farming then was lucrative for them and they earned a healthy sum to manage their families.
However over the years, the extent of jute farming in the region has declined as farmers say that they fail to get profitable prices for the crops compared to the labour and cost inputs.
Many farmers have shunned jute cultivation over the years. They also lamented that they are turning away from this crop as no government support is coming in. Jute is a biodegradable material and many useful items like carpets, sacks, ropes and other household articles are made from it.
“Distress sale of raw jute, inadequate marketing facility for jute fibre products and lack of government support have led to the crop losing its profitability and charm among the farmers in Baliapal,” local farmers and agriculture experts lamented.
Jute used to be widely cultivated in Asti, Kumbhari, Nijhira, Srirampur, Debhoga, Bishnupur, Madhupura and Jamkundi panchayats. Baliapal was once the highest producer of jute in the state. Jute was also being exported outside the state from this area.
30 years ago, the Central government used to procure jute though a cooperative society. Farmers earned a lot then by selling jute. However, 8 years ago, the society was closed down. Farmers had to resort to distress sale of their crop.
Jute was being supplied to jute mills in Rupsa, Dhanmandal (Jajpur), Dhenkanal and Kolkota. “Traders are now buying jute from us at cheaper rates. We have to incur losses. Why should we do jute cultivation when we have to face losses,” famers like Bhagirathi Panda, Narayan Sethi and Amulya Gangai lamented.
They demanded that the cooperative society should be revived so that they can sell their crop at right prices. Farmers will be encouraged to do this cash crop in the region. They said, “The state government has not done anything substantial to promote jute cultivation in the area.
As a result, jute production has gone down substantially in the state.” Jute was cultivated in around 2,000 hectares from 1970 to 1995, but it came down after 2000. Jute was once widely cultivated in other districts like Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh.
In some of these districts, jute cultivation has now completely stopped. As the Centre and state governments have banned the use of plastics and other non-biodegradable materials, it is high time the state government gave special attention to jute, they said.
Experts say, the district has favourable climatic conditions and land resources for jute cultivation but little government support led to a sharp decline in its cultivation. Hence, farmers are turning to other crops to earn a living.
PNN
