Philippines studies jute's potential as packaging material

03 May '19

1 min read

Pic: Bureau of Agricultural Research, Philippines

The Philippine Fibre Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) and the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) are studying jute as a raw material for natural packaging. The Bicol Integrated Agricultural Research Centre of the agriculture department’s Bicol region office has also initiated a study to find the status of jute production in the region.

The PhilFIDA-BAR initiative follows a directive from agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol, according to information posted on the BAR website.

However, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, North Cotabato and Cagayan were the only provinces that reported jute production.

Part of PhilFIDA’s study is to determine the availability and consumption of jute, jute sack, and other products—both imported and local—in the Philippines. The research team found that in Nueva Ecija, jute is primarily cultivated for food.

Joel Lumagbas, a board member of the Philippine Coffee Board Inc., said the International Coffee Organisation specifies that the packaging material to be used for exporting coffee should be jute sack with 60-kilogram capacity. (DS)

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