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‘Raw jute stock must not exceed 1,000 tonnes’


Published : 20 Jan 2021 09:23 PM

Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, Bir Pratik, MP, said that in order to ensure the supply of raw jute in the domestic market and expedite the flow of jute and jute products, raw jute dealers or warehouse owners will not be allowed to stock more than 1,000 tonnes of raw jute for more than a month. The Jute Department has been directed to take necessary steps in this connection.

The minister made the remarks during a meeting with the leaders of Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) and Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association at the Secretariat in the city on Wednesday. 

Textiles and Jute Secretary Lokman Hossain Mia, Additional Secretary Sabina Yasmin, Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Mills Association Md. Mahbubur Rahman Patwari, Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association Md. Zahid Miah and other leaders of the association were also present there.

The minister said the production of jute mills is at risk due to the recent crisis of raw jute in the country. In this situation, the government will take effective measures to ensure the supply of raw jute to continue the trend of export income of jute and jute products. To prevent unscrupulous traders from buying and selling raw jute and stockpiling it, to prevent the sale and purchase of wet and to ensure effective supply of raw jute in the market, the Jute Department has been directed to take necessary steps, he added.

In addition, effective steps have been taken to ensure proper supply of seeds to ensure jute cultivation as per the targets during the current jute season. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Textiles and Jute have jointly prepared a roadmap for five years to achieve self-sufficiency in quality jute seed production. If all goes well, Bangladesh will be self-sufficient in improved jute seed production by 2025. There will be no more import dependence on the collection of necessary jute seeds. The implementation of the roadmap will start from this jute season. It will be implemented step by step, the Minister said. 

The Ministry of Textiles and Jute is implementing a project titled 'Advanced Technology Based Jute and Jute Seed Production and Expansion' under the Annual Development Program (ADP) to achieve self-sufficiency in high yielding jute seed production and to motivate and assist farmers in quality jute production. The project is being implemented in 230 upazilas of 48 districts of the country. The project will directly benefiting 1,53,000 jute farmers and 8,12,000 farmers indirectly every year.

It may be mentioned that in the first four months of the current fiscal year 2020-21, Bangladesh earned 668.11crore by exporting jute and jute products, which is 30.56 percent more than last year and about 19.29 percent more than the target.