Regaining the lost lustre of the golden fibre

Jute is widely known as the ‘Golden Fibre’ in our country mainly due to its shiny golden colour. Besides, it’s an important cash crop that helps the country earn a good amount of revenue by exporting it and its related products to different countries of the world. However, the farmers, despite the economic value of jute and its products, are growing to be more disinterested in cultivating this cash crop owing to the fact that they are not getting fair price for jute, further compounded by natural disasters hampering the cultivation process. In order to ensure fair price for jute farmers, we need to earn more from jute. But, Bangladesh is failing to do so because of a number of reasons.

Though Bangladesh is exporting jute products to different countries of the world and earning money, it seems that native consumers/customers are not very eager about jute products. According to a recent report, Bangladesh is now exporting around 282 jute and jute-based goods to 135 foreign countries and the country has witnessed a rise by 31 per cent (export of such goods) in FY2020-21 compared year-on-year, earning nearly Tk10,000crore. Though this figure is inspiring, the fact remains that use of such goods is not increasing within the country. One of the reasons could be the fact that cross-sections of people don’t know why using jute products are actually significant.

At a time when the whole world is reeling from the adverse impacts of climate change, it is indeed important that we endeavour harder to stop pollution and prevent reasons that cause pollution. We all know that polythene bags are a major cause of pollution and it results in irreversible damage to the environment. Plastic bags do not decompose so easily, even after years. So, toxic substances get released when polythene bags are being exposed to open spaces and sunlight whereas if it is burnt, it releases toxic materials into the air, contaminating the air in a vicious way. Despite the fact that there is a ban on use and production of non-biodegradable material like polythene bags, manufacturers are producing it and we are using it. According to informal estimates, there are over 200 factories manufacturing polythene bags in the capital and each factory can produce 500-700 tonnes of polythene bags in a day. When we are already feeling the brunt of climate change, isn’t it a wise decision to stop using such a harmful thing and resort to something more environment-friendly?

This is where jute products can play an instrumental role. Scientist Mubarak Ahmad Khan, back in 2015, invented Sonali Bag made from jute polymer. Sonali bag could be a game changer. People should be inspired to use Sonali bags instead of polythene bags as it is not harmful for the environment. Unfortunately, the mass production of Sonali bag has not been started yet because no one is coming forward to invest in this initiative. The government as well as players from the private sector should come forward to initiate commercial production of Sonali bags. It is true that the production cost of Sonali bags is high, but there is also no denying that if the demand increases, the production cost will come down automatically.

However, in order to popularize jute, it is of utmost importance that jute products are diversified. Only if varied jute products of varying quality and value are produced in great quantity and put on sale, people will feel more interested in using those. Already, the Jute Diversification Promotion Centre (JDPC) is working to this end and they have an array of jute products. Promotional campaigns should be run to raise awareness among people about the importance of using jute products. And many of us do not know that jute products are equally appealing. There are so many jute products which can be used as a decoration piece in your homes. Placement of such products will enhance the overall look of your living room or bedroom. Moreover, we should be using jute products not only because they are beautiful, but we should also take into account the fact that we also have a role to play to minimize the impacts of climate change. It is our choices that can make a huge difference. And a decision to lean towards jute-based products can indeed make positive changes.

Finally, the Jute Diversification Promotion Centre (JDPC) located in Farmgate, Dhaka needs to be more active. This centre was actually established with a view to regaining the lost lustre of jute by diversifying jute products and adding value. It seems like JDPC has failed to live up to the expectations as they have failed to invoke interest among the masses and divert their attention towards jute-based products. Even many people do not know that there is a government institution tasked with diversifying jute products. They need to step up their game and take multi-faceted initiatives to popularize jute products.

Meanwhile, we need to modernize the production process by putting an end to old-fashioned production units. Specialized mills are now the need of the hour to produce diversified products that will not only meet domestic demands, but could be exported to other countries of the world, where the demand for jute-based products is going up. Our neighbouring country India has already taken steps in this regard to grabbing growing markets. According to a report, India earned 3.71 billion rupees in the 2018-19 fiscal year by only exporting jute-made carpets whereas India’s earning from exporting jute-made hand and shopping bags rose by 71 per cent during the same period. If necessary, the government and the authorities concerned can look into their policies and the steps they are taking for reaching the market for jute-based products. Even on an individual level, we need to do our bit by buying jute products. Only then, we can hope that good days for the farmers cultivating jute will return.

The writer is a communications professional. He can be contacted at malammohabbat@gmail.com