Jute harvest keeps Sunsari farmers busy
Summary
Farmers in Sunsari are busy harvesting and processing jute, a cash crop grown across Nepal’s southern plains. Local production has risen slightly this year, but jute industries in Sunsari and Morang still rely on imports from Bangladesh and India.
Key Points
- Farmers in Sunsari district have been harvesting and processing jute for the past month, with the crop now selling at around Rs6,000 per 40 kilograms in local markets.
- Jute cultivation is concentrated in southern Nepal’s warm, humid plains, especially in Bhokraha Narsingh, Koshi, Harinagar, Gadhi, Barju, Dewanganj, Duhabi and Inaruwa.
- The Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Sunsari says jute was cultivated on 1,334 hectares this year, producing 2,081 metric tonnes, up from 1,308 hectares and 2,010 metric tonnes last year.
- Industry operators in Sunsari and Morang still do not get enough raw material locally and continue importing jute from Bangladesh and India.
