North East News Agency

The textile Ministry is setting up one marketing yard and three departmental purchase centres in the North-East for helping the four lakh small jute farmers in marketing their produce. Two of the centres would be at Nagaon and Goalpara in Assam. The industry is yet to pick the other two. The move is part of the Rs. 355 crore Jute Technological Mission (JTM) launched by the Centre to promote the jute industry.Union Textile Minister Sankar Singh Vaghela also visited Assam recently as part of his tour of jute producing states other than West Bengal.

Assam is the second largest jute producing state in the country behind West Bengal. It produced eight lakh bales of jute last year and officials are expecting production to jump to 10 lakh bales this year. India’s total jute production last year was 100 lakh bales.

The Union  minister toured some jute producing centres of Assam and had a meeting with jute growers and officials of the State. Then at a press conference, the Union Minister said that the UPA Government is giving top priority to jute as an eco friendly fiber.

The Jute Packaging Act has been modified to encourage the use of jute as packaging material, said Mr. Vaghela. The Centre has decide to create a Jute Board by merging the Jute Manufacturers Development Council (JMDC) and the National Centre for Jute Diversification (NCJD) to launch a concerted effort to encourage jute cultivation and promote jute based industries.

The Centre would also set up five jute retting tanks in Assam with subsidies up to 90 per cent. Assam jute is among the best in the country and closest to the highly valued Bangladesh jute in terms of quality. The Centre, in its bid to encourage jute farming has fixed a minimum support price of Rs. 1000 per quintal.

Union Textile Minister Sankar Singh Vaghela further lamented  the fact that a proper marketing system for jute is missing in eastern India. He said that subsidy will be given with a view on marketing of jute.

There is heavy demand for jute products in India and abroad, the Union Minister informed, adding that value addition could earn rich dividends for farmers and those involved in jute based industries.

“We want to accord jute the status of cotton,” said Mr. Vaghela, who himself hails from cotton rich Gujarat. Mr. Vaghela also stressed on the need of increased research and development work in jute.

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