•           Jute is selling at ever highest price in local markets

•           Jute crisis attributed to illegal hoarding

•           Jute mill closures leaving many people workless

AK Khandker: Now jute is selling at the ever-highest price in the history of Bangladesh.  Jute price has surpassed the prices of all other commodities in the market. The price of one kg jute is equal to 2.5 kg rice. Now one kg jute is selling atTk.130 and one mound is Tk.5,200. Everyday this price is showing the sign to rise.

Although there is high demand of jute and jute products in home and abroad, unfortunately, jute mills are shutting down one after another in our country leaving this sector in darkness.

In the meantime, more than a hundred jute mills faced closure and other are on the way to be closed down.

Last year in March, all the government jute mills were declared closed.

A few jute mills that are somehow maintaining their locus standi, are buying jutes at an exorbitant price. As a result, they cannot compete with the international market due to their high production cost.

If this trend goes on, time is not far ahead when jute industry will finally die away from the country, jute experts expressed their apprehension.

Four crore people including the jute farmers of the country are directly or indirectly involved in jute for livelihood, is learnt from the Jute Department and BJMA.

The few mills that are still in operation will no longer continue production; it is said.

The number of jute mills under Bangladesh Jute Mill Association (BJMA) and Jute Spinners Association, (BJSA), was 296 and the number of directly involved workers was 2 lakhs. Of them one lakh workers are now out of work, it is learnt.

According to the jute mill owners, the present artificial jute crisis is the result of the manipulation and hoarders’ evil motifs.

Huge quantity of raw jute was exported at the beginning of this season. Later, many traders have hoarded jutes in order to create artificial crisis. So, there is less supply in the market and the price has increased, market source informed.

 The source also informed, this year as many as 72 lakh and 86 thousand bales of jute was produced in the country. Previous year it was 74 lakh bales. This year 4 lakh bales were exported and 30 lakh bales are being used in the jute mills. 5 lakh bales are used for the household purposes.

At present 10 lakh, 94 thousand and 825 bales jute are in the hands of some licensed traders and some jute mill owners. After over all calculation, there should have been 23 lakh bales raw jute in stock in the country. But there is not enough jute in the market as jute is now stored by legal or illegal hoarders, the report found.

The report also claims, the jute crisis appears due to excessive export of jute in the beginning of the season. In addition, the illegal hoarding has augmented the crisis.

It is rueful that jute is losing its name and fame, but once it enjoyed reputation all over the world. Now Jute no longer is termed as the golden fibre of Bangladesh, because this sector is limping and groping in the darkness over the recent times though there is still high demand of jute and jute products in the world markets.

Jute is environment-friendly substance. Jute bags, sacs, mats and other jute products are better than plastic and polyethylene materials. Plastic and polythene are hazardous to health and environment. Even then why the uses of jute products are not so prevalent in our country evokes a question to many minds. Polythene though harmful for nature and environment are being used at random everywhere, whereas jute and jute products are neglected in our country also raise a question to many people.

 Jute experts averred that there are still high demand of jute and jute products in every country. They say, the country can still earn forex from jute sectors, if proper cares are taken about jute and all the jute mills of the country.

It is urgent to revive the past glory of the jute sector of the country through caring, nurturing and opening up the closed jute mills as early as possible.

The exports and diversified uses of jute and jute products may bring fortune for the country as it did earlier assuming the name, the golden fire of Bangladesh.

This sector will help boost again country’s economy and help survive as many as 4 crore people of our country, who are directly or indirectly involved on jute for livelihood, experts of jute and jute products further opined.