Things have changed for the better for the jute industry in the last several years as the government has once again adopted measures to boost jute production in line with growing foreign demand for this versatile, bio-degradable fibre. And strict enforcement of the policy of mandatory use of jute for packaging in 17 products has enhanced its internal market greatly.

We are once again exporting jute and jute products to countries like Australia, China, Turkey, etc. Farmers took up the challenge and last year, 817,000 hectares of land were cultivated to produce 9.17 million bales of raw jute. While farmers have performed commendably and some diversification has taken place, particularly, the making of viscose, which is the primary material from which cotton yarn can be produced, much more needs to be done with this amazing fibre.

As the RMG sector comes increasingly under pressure due to emergence of new players, we must move quickly to diversify the usage of jute by introducing new product lines. The government should provide incentives to growers to produce better quality jute. Private sector involvement is also crucial to take forward the discoveries made by Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI), whereby jute cotton may be fused with cotton to give way to a range of new wearables. Only if we can offer a diversified range of jute products can we hope to fully revive the potential of jute-based products as a major export sector. And with expansion of market for jute products the performance of the public jute mills must also be enhanced.