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News:
- The jute industry faces a number of issues which hinder it from reaping benefit from plastic bans across different states in India
Important facts:
- Major issues with jute cultivation and jute industry:
- Decrease in quality of raw jute
- Continuous decrease in land under jute cultivation- according to Union Textile Ministry, there has been a 9.5% drop in area under jute cultivation
- Further, since raw jute prices is below support price in 2017-18, it is estimated that area under cultivation may further decrease or stagnate in 2018-19
- Primitive labour intensive cultivation methods, retting (drenching raw jute in water to extract fibre) create problems
- Jute industries have not upgraded their technology and are dependent on government support like packaging reservations. Only limited number of industries has diversified into non-packaging sector
- Initiatives taken:
The Jute Foundation” (TJF)
- They have been trying to engage all stakeholders (farmers, mill workers, research organizations and consumers) for revival of jute industry and promote use of jute.
- They have been working with Indian Jute Research Association to introduce thin and slim jute bags so as to compete with the plastic bags
I-CARE
- It is a programme launched by National Jute Board and Jute Corporation of India
- It has launched a pilot project on retting technology which aims a increasing farmer’s returns
