Home ›› 09 Sep 2021 ›› Editorial
It is welcome news that the government has taken the decision to set up sales outlets in all divisional cities and district towns to facilitate business of various products made of jute. In view of the popular demand for jute products the government is going to build modern centres to help the local manufacturers bring their products to one place instead of opening small shops on the road sides.
Customers would also be able to select products after visiting different shops placed under one roof. We believe this would generate interest among the sellers and buyers, boost sales and lift our economy further. It is also encouraging to note that the government would organize exhibitions of the jute products where local and foreign buyers and local exporters would get the opportunity to view the products and place direct orders.
We may mention here that some of the jute products that are popular among the buyers are: Jute sacks or hessian bags for packing grains like rice, wheat and sugar, jute yarn, jute twine and fabric, shika (pot hanger), bedroom rugs, bathroom rugs, large carpet, bedroom slippers, fancy shopping bags and curtain cloth. These products enjoy a good market in various countries abroad. If developed further in quality, these will be able to earn more foreign currency for the country.
Jute is a wondrous natural fiber that grows in some South Asian countries where plenty of water is available in canals and rivers. It goes through a number of processes, from sowing to soaking in water for weeks and then separating the fiber from the stick. The price is fixed as per the grades of the fiver. It grows in certain months of the monsoon season when the canals and rivers get filled up with water. The unique property of this fiber is it is biodegradable.
The very first product of jute was perhaps seen in making rope of various sizes and length since time immemorial. It is in use for constructing rural houses with wood, bamboo or iron sheet; tie domestic animals and fasten boats with an anchor. Ropes used to be made by men and women in the villages in their leisure time. Gradually people learned to make jute bags with yarns, shika (pot hangers) and a few other products, which can be labeled as the first handicraft products. Selling ropes and jute products in local markets became a money earning occupation of many village families.
The post-industrial revolution era saw the evolution of jute hessian cloth making machinery in England and Germany, which provided the needed impetus in Bengal for growing quality jute fiber. Throughout the middle half of the 20th century jute mills of different sizes started to come up in this part of the world. The golden fiber became a money-spinning product that saw many big businessmen of India and later Pakistan rushed to Bengal to set up jute mills.
It is good news that the government has taken up plans to instruct the officials of the textile and jute ministry to go all out to promote the growth and sell of jute and jute products. Some of the Bangladesh missions abroad have also been given necessary advice to take steps for the promotion of jute and jute products. It needs to be mentioned here that The Jute Diversification Promotion Centre (JDPC) under the Textile and Jute ministry is already working with regard to organizing exhibitions in district towns and has taken steps for online promotion of jute products at home and abroad. The Jute Entrepreneurs Service Centre (JESC) is currently providing training to some entrepreneurs on how to diversify manufacturing of jute products. Reportedly, about 800 trained entrepreneurs are currently producing 282 different types of jute products in the country.
This may be said candidly that the lack of such patronization on the part of the government was responsible for our jute products falling behind the high-quality products of Thailand, China, the Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Definitely an item that already brings about $1 billion per annum deserves more attention.
