National Jute Board : Indian Jute: The Golden Fibre

By A Correspondent Kolkata | West Bengal

Jute is one of the oldest sectors in India’s agricultural and industrial economy with a significant base in Eastern and North-eastern states of the country. Jute has several socio-economic and environmental related advantages. These are –

• Jute, being a natural fibre, is biodegradable and eco-friendly in nature;
• Jute fibre is generally less susceptible to microbial damage due to cross linkage with lignin ensuring its long durability;
• Jute is the second most important industry next to cotton textiles and plays a dominant role in the industrial economy of eastern India supporting 40 lakh farmers, 2 lakh industrial workers and 5 lakhs workers in ancillary activities;
• Jute bag as industrial packaging gives consumer the best value for money;
• Jute packaging materials have a life cycle equivalent to 4/5 times for sacking and 2/3 times for hessians reuse cycle, thereby strongly contributing to the conservation of natural recourses;
• Jute by-products are used as alternative fuel;

From the environmental point of view, Jute is sturdy organic fibre, which is the most eco-friendly, biodegradable and recyclable natural fibre in the world. Jute plant has very high carbon dioxide assimilation ability. An acre of jute absorbs about 6M. Tons of carbon dioxide and releases 4.4M. Tons of oxygen higher than trees. The biological efficiency of jute is much higher than wood plants.

Just because of its amazing durable properties, jute can be used as eco-friendly fibre that produces a diverse range of products. Jute is a fibre with many desirable properties and has been exploited for bulk packaging for many decades. These includes –

• Hessian Cloth / Bags – A wide range of hessian bags are manufactured to meet various packaging needs;
• Sacking / Bags – Used as packaging of varieties and large quantities of commodities;
• Yarn – Of different specifications and weight as per usage in JDPs;
• Jute Diversifications – After serving many decades as packaging material, jute has moved on and new diversified applications were implemented with proficiency. These are –
• Fine and blended yarns;
• Decorative fabrics – for home textiles, furnishing and apparels;
• Shopping and Carry bags, promotional bags;
• Carpets and jute based floor coverings;
• Novelty products of handicrafts;
• Wall decorations and wall hangings;

In conclusion, one can say that we are lucky to have an excellent natural resource in the form of jute. We only need to rediscover its potential, expand its horizons and do everything that is necessary, to position, it at the place it deserves. We have to invoke a composite strategy designed to bring value addition to all stake-holder groups in the sector. In doing this, we would uplift the lot of our jute farmer and artisan / worker brothers and sisters.

Role of NJB in Jute Sector: National Jute Board (NJB) is a statutory body under Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India. National Jute Board (NJB) aims at development of the cultivation, manufacture and marketing of Jute and jute products and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto. It engages in research and human resource development programmes to explore new and innovative use of jute with the idea of enabling both the organized as well as the decentralized sector to compete and increase the global share of Indian jute goods consumption.

To augment its position of strength the Board envisages to implement programmes that facilitate growth of the Jute Sector.  Dissemination of newer technologies, machinery assistance, human resource development through training and design inputs extending scholastic incentives and addressing certain health related issues are some of the major areas apart from showcasing Indian Jute in the global arena.

Vision & Mission of NJB

• Making India the leader of jute industries in the world.
• Achieving excellence that will enable the Indian Jute Industry to produce good quality jute goods at economical prices to meet the growing needs of the people, to enable producers of jute products to get access to domestic and international market at competitive price.
• Framing & implementing policies and programmes that promote & facilitate the growth of Jute Sector, both organised and informal, enabling them to face global competition from a position of strength and increase share of the global jute goods export.
• Undertaking various research and development programmes to explore the new and innovative use of jute

Different Schemes of NJB

National Jute Board (NJB) has several beneficial schemes to promote the jute entrepreneurs, SHGs, Women in North-east region of India. Some of the empowering schemes that are transforming the lives of jute artisans are as below –

• Jute Integrated Development Scheme (JIDS) for setting up of more production units for use of jute as raw material to expand the production base for the diversified jute products and creating employment for the rural population in the newly established JDP production units.
• Jute Raw Material Bank Scheme (JRMB) to assist by supplying raw materials at production centres to the existing skilled workforce as well as the new artisans / entrepreneurs / WSHGs for production of diversified jute products in the decentralised sector.
• Export Market Development Assistance Scheme (EMDA) for JDP is introduced to provide fast track support to the manufacturers / merchant exporters of jute goods for participation in fairs and business delegations abroad for the promotion of jute as a lifestyle product and its diversified applications.
• Retail Supply Scheme-Domestic with an objective to meet increasing demand for jute shopping bags and other JDPs due to ban or restrictions on the use of plastic and also supports the cause of health of environment.
• Incentive Scheme for Acquisition of Plant & Machinery facilitates modernisation and up gradation of technology in the existing jute mills and JDP units.
• Common Facility Centres (CFCs) for development and promotion of diversified jute products which will generate self-employment opportunities for unemployed men and women and benefit the Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs) in rural areas.
• The Board also assists for the welfare of workers in jute mills and improve sanitation, health facilities and working conditions in the jute mills.
• Scholarship scheme initiated by National Jute Board extend support to the workers’ family towards education of their children.

Please visit www.jute.com for information in details on various schemes implemented by National Jute Board.

(Shilpa Bichitra | Special Edition | 2017)