Purnia News: Bihar Farmers Farm, Bengal Fixes Crop Prices

Purnia News: In the changing times, farmers have started moving away from Danga Ivar i.e. jute cultivation. The farmers of Bihar farm, it is their capital and hard labour, they harvest the crop and extract the fibre, but Bengal fixes its price. As a result, Bengal continued to have a monopoly on the price of jute grown in Bihar. When the farmers harvest their crops in the fields, the price of hemp rises, but by the time the hemp is ready and reaches the market, its price falls. Due to this, farmers also face cost problem. Although the jute crop is yet to be ready from the fields, jute farmers are already worried about the price. 80% of the total jute production is grown in Kosi, 80% of the country's total jute production is grown in Purnia and Kosi. However, with the passage of time, the area under jute cultivation was decreasing. It is still cultivated as a cash crop. Farmers believe jute is a stable deposit crop for them. Jute money is used during daughter's marriage, auspicious event or any calamity. Not only the present but also the future hope of farmers depend on jute. This is the reason why Purnia and Kosi divisions are still considered jute dominated areas. It is this crop that ensures marriage of daughters, repayment of debtor's debt and fulfillment of other household responsibilities. Although the demand for jute has decreased somewhat due to the increasing use of plastic bags, jute is still cultivated as a cash crop. Jute is cultivated in 01 lakh 20 thousand 129 hectares in Purnia and Kosi divisions. There was a boom in jute prices three years ago and in fact, in 2021, the price of jute suddenly rose and its price in the market was Rs 7000 to 8000 per quintal. Farmers from rural areas like Harda, Kosi and Srinagar said that prices were high and yields were low that year. Jute cultivation area increased in 2022, seeing the same price. This resulted in enormous yields, but prices fell so much that it was difficult to recover costs. According to farmers, in 2022, selling jute near the retail market fetched Rs 4200 to Rs 4800 per quintal, whereas when they went to Gulabagh mandi, they got Rs 200 to 250 per quintal. This year jute price is between Rs.5000 and Rs.5400 in Gulabagh mandi. Traders expect prices to rise when the season starts. Jute mills in Kolkata set the price. In this they see an opportunity for their business. After the closure of the Panmangi sugar mill, the farmers have suffered greatly as the jute plant has become the main cash crop of Seemanchal farmers. But since there is no jute mill here, the farmers are not even getting the price. Bengal had a monopoly on jute prices from the beginning. As a result, the farmers get the same price as decided by the jute mill owners of Bengal. In the eighties, the then central government attempted to open jute mills at Kishanganj and Forbesganj, but they failed to take off. Katihar jute mill was also closed down due to management conflicts. This is due to the demand to set up jute mills and jute-based industries in Purnia over the past several decades. If the jute-based industry is not started here, it will be difficult to get a fair price, says Bokaria farmer Tat Alam. Because the jute entrepreneurs of Bengal are exploiting the farmers of Bihar. Jute farmer Janardhan Trivedi says that jute is an old cash crop of Purnia farmers and farmers can do even the biggest jobs based on it. It costs more than 40 thousand rupees to cultivate 08 quintals in one acre and 5300 rupees. So far the average price of jute in the market is Rs.5500, TDS ratio is 5, but this quality is not available, the market price in the market is Rs.5400 with TDS ratio of 6. The post Purnia News: Bihar farmers farm, Bengal sets crop prices appeared first on Prabhat Khabar.