Murshidabad, 13 August (H.S.): Heavy rains in Murshidabad district have brought smiles on the faces of jute farmers. The normal rainfall from January to August 5 should be 796 mm, but this year 803 mm of rain has fallen. Due to increased rainfall, water has accumulated at many places in Murshidabad district.

As a result, it has become easier for farmers to sell jute. Apart from this, the price of jute is also good in the early season this year. If farmers buy jute early and sell it in the market, they will get good profits. In other years, farmers had to buy water and put it in the pond to sell jute. Due to less rainfall for three consecutive years, the condition of jute farmers in the district has become very pathetic. But this time, they are seeing a ray of hope due to the change in the situation.

An agriculture officer of the district said that 75 to 80 percent of jute has been harvested from the cultivated land in Murshidabad district. Due to heavy rains, farmers are engaged in harvesting jute quickly. With many jute fields submerged in water, harvesting is getting delayed. However, given the rate of rainfall, there is no water problem for jute rotting anywhere. Farooq Sheikh, a jute farmer from Hariharpara, said, For the last three years, we have been buying water and putting it in ponds to dry jute. At least this time, that is not the case. After spending money on jute cultivation, it is not profitable to buy water again to dry jute. There has been adequate rainfall this time, so there is no water problem. Rajiv Sheikh, a jute farmer from Nawada, said, There was no rain at all at the beginning of the season this year. However, we are all happy with the pace at which it is raining during jute harvesting. Initially, we had to irrigate to keep the jute plants alive, but this time we are lucky that we do not have to buy water to rot the jute. Liyaqat Sheikh, a jute farmer from Berhampur, said that the weather was not at all favorable at the beginning of the season. However, with the pace of rain, we will get water to rot the jute, but then it will be difficult to cultivate vegetables.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey