Jute sticks now a profitable by-product in Magura

Once considered little more than firewood or fencing material, jute sticks have emerged as a profitable agricultural by-product, creating a thriving trade and providing livelihoods for farmers, traders, labourers and boatmen.

At Elangkhali Ghat on the Madhumati river in Magura’s Mohammadpur upazila, the trade has become a regular economic activity. From early morning, traders and labourers remain busy stacking, loading and transporting jute sticks to industrial mills and betel leaf-growing areas.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Traders collect the sticks from farmers in Magura, Faridpur and neighbouring districts and store them at the riverside ghat before loading them onto cargo trawlers. Each vessel carries around 1,800-2,000 maunds and travels to Narayanganj and Barishal.

Md Jafar Molla, 60, a trader from Beljani village in Faridpur’s Boalmari upazila, has been in the business for nearly 25 years.

“We purchase jute sticks from farmers in Magura Sadar, Mohammadpur, Lohagara in Narail and nearby areas at Tk 450 per maund,” he said.

The sticks are stored at Elangkhali before being loaded onto trawlers. Jafar said they are sold to Partex mills in Narayanganj for Tk 550 per maund and to betel leaf growers in Barishal for Tk 700 per kaun, a traditional bundle of 1,408 sticks.

“After deducting all expenses, we earn around Tk 1 lakh from each shipment,” he said, adding that he sends 10-12 trawlers to Narayanganj and 12-15 to Barishal each year.

Abdul Karim, a local farmer, said jute sticks previously had little market value, but traders now collect them directly from farmers’ homes.

Saidul Islam, a labourer at the ghat, said around 40-50 workers are employed there during the jute season.

“Many boatmen and transport workers also depend on this river trade for their livelihoods,” he said.

Md Tajul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Magura, said jute sticks from the district are supplied to betel leaf farms in Barishal and Partex board mills.