Katwa, an ancient riverside trade and commerce hub of Bengal has dazzled, securing the topmost trading of the golden fibre in India by the ever-toiling Bengal farmers, which has surpassed the previous records, officials claimed.
In 2023-24, Jute Corporation of India (JCI)’s Direct Purchase Centre in Katwa procured 35,392 quintals of jute and the local farmers secured net trading business worth Rs 16.70cr. “This has registered the highest purchase by any single DPC in the country and we’ve set targets to surpass this in the next fiscal year,” said Manish Jaiswal, JCI in-charge at Katwa.
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In India, 110 such DPCs operate. Jaiswal said, “The MSP (minimum support price) per quintal is set to be enhanced from July significantly. So, we can expect the turnout of more farmers.” Each farmer is allowed to sell a maximum 70 quintals of jute against MSP.
In 2023, Bengal emerged as the largest producer of jute cultivated on an estimated 516,000 hectares of raw jute and Mesta, a herbaceous plant that is cultivated as an essential commercial crop after jute. Bengal contributes 75 per cent of the country’s total jute output for its fertile soil and skilled farmers along the Bhagirathi river-basin. Assam, Bihar and Meghalaya follow the next three positions in jute cultivation after Bengal.
India contributes 60 per cent of world’s gross jute production.
But, increasing water crisis, falling seed quality, besides, extensive loss of crop land due to aggressive urbanization have together started hitting jute cultivation in Bengal. As stated Uttam Saha, JCI in-charge, DPC in Kalna, “As the monsoon has still been dwindling and the farmers keeping their eyes set on the sky, we are apprehensive about July purchase as rains play a pivotal role in good yield.” Kalna though is the next-door neighbour to Katwa. It has trailed behind because of non-availability of warehouses. Saha said: “We hardly could secure a single warehouse against three allocated for Katwa.” The Kalna Centre had procured 22,000 quintals of Grades – 32,c3 & 4 jute in 2023-24.
