Hooghly, 01 September (H.S.): Jute farmers in Balagarh block of Hooghly are facing mounting financial difficulties due to the unchecked use of plastic and a sharp rise in the cost of cultivation. Despite cultivating jute across acres of farmland, many farmers are struggling even to recover their production costs, let alone make a profit.

According to farmers, the cost of cultivating jute on one bigha of land has risen to around ₹20,000–₹22,000. Given the high production costs, they say the open-market price of jute would need to be at least ₹15,000–₹16,000 per quintal for them to avoid losses.

However, the current market scenario is far less favourable. The Jute Corporation of India (JCI) has fixed the government price at ₹5,925 per quintal, while jute is fetching around ₹10,000–₹12,000 per quintal in the open market. As a result, farmers are reportedly suffering losses of several thousand rupees per quintal.

The situation is reflected in the cultivation figures. Around a decade ago, jute was cultivated on nearly 6,000 hectares in Balagarh. Due to rising cultivation costs and inadequate prices, the area under jute cultivation has now declined to around 4,250 hectares.

Farmers are also struggling with water shortages, soaring prices of chemical fertilisers and rising labour costs, all of which have added to the burden of cultivation.

Another major problem is the lack of adequate government storage facilities. Small and marginal farmers, unable to preserve their produce for long periods, are often forced to sell their jute to middlemen at lower prices.

Burdened by debt, farmers are demanding a complete ban on plastic use and the immediate reopening of closed jute mills. They believe that greater demand for jute would help restore market prices and improve their earnings.

Amid the growing concerns, local MLA and Minister Sumana Sarkar on Tuesday assured farmers that steps will be taken to address the crisis. She said the Chief Minister is deeply concerned about the difficulties faced by jute farmers.

According to the minister, the present government has also increased the allowances provided to farmers compared with the previous government. She said positive steps are being taken towards reopening closed jute mills.

Pointing out that the new government has completed only around 100 days in office, Sarkar assured farmers that further measures would be taken soon.

She said the government would work towards ensuring a fair price for jute and better storage facilities, with necessary steps expected to be taken shortly.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey