A severe water crisis in Lalmonirhat, despite the ongoing monsoon, is significantly disrupting the crucial retting process of jute, leaving farmers worried about potential financial losses due to declining fibre quality and fears of not receiving a fair market price.

The lack of sufficient rainfall has dried up canals, ponds, and other water bodies, halting the traditional process of retting, an essential step in extracting fibre from jute stalks.

Although this is usually the peak time for jute harvesting, many farmers have been unable to proceed due to the shortage of water.

Those who have already harvested are watching their jute wither under the scorching sun, unable to begin retting.

Growers across the district report that jute left in the fields is turning reddish due to intense heat exposure.

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In desperation, some have resorted to retting in dirty or stagnant water, resulting in lower-quality fibre with a darker colour, further raising doubts over whether the crop will fetch fair prices even with a good yield.

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Shahinur Mia, a jute farmer from the Champartol area of Kakina union under Kaliganj upazila, said he cultivated jute on one bigha of land but hasn’t been able to ret it due to the lack of rainfall.

“I’ve had to store my harvested jute by the roadside, waiting for rain,” he said, expressing his concern over the worsening situation.

Farmers Yakub Ali and Raihan Mia from Rudreshwar area of the same upazila shared similar frustrations.

While light rainfall had occurred in the past few days, they noted it was insufficient to fill paddy fields—let alone replenish ponds and canals needed for retting.

To make matters worse, some farmers are having to transport their jute three to four kilometres to distant water sources, adding to their already high input costs through increased transportation expenses.

Many now fear that if meaningful rain does not arrive within a week, the damage to this year’s jute crop could be severe.

With repeated losses over recent years, several farmers are reconsidering jute cultivation altogether, citing rising production costs and continued market price instability.

Shaikhul Arefin, an officer at the Department of Agricultural Extension, said the department is working to support the farmers with guidance and incentives.

This year, jute was cultivated on 2,380 hectares of land across 45 unions in the district.

“Around 80 percent of the jute has been harvested, and a few days of rainfall could resolve much of the crisis,” he added.