Geo-Textiles key to survival of Jute industry

07 Apr '08

2 min read

The survival of the jute industry lies in varied applications in diverse areas like geo-textiles was the general consensus at a workshop organized in Kolkatta by International Jute Study Group, Dhaka.

An international workshop on Jute Geotextiles–Technical Potential and Commercial Prospects was held at Hotel Hyatt Regency, Kolkatta, jointly organised by the International Jute Study Group (IJSG) and Jute Manufactures Development Council (JMDC) and funded by Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), the Netherlands.

The workshop was inaugurated by West Bengal industry minister Mr Nirupam Sen who said the jute industry should take up new challenges and diversify into other areas and also added that a Canadian company had initiated a dialogue with the state government to set up a paper plant using jute fibre.

Sudripta Roy, secretary-general of IJSG, said that 'the future of the industry lay in the application of jute in diversified areas like Jute-Geo textiles which could find applications in road building and prevention of soil erosion.'

He added 'Jute companies were not serious about Jute Geo-textiles as the government was supporting the industry through the stipulated mandatory packaging order.' But 'do not expect this support for a long time and to look for other viable alternatives for survival', he warned.

The Indian government and Common Fund for Commodities of Amsterdam have jointly invested in a US$ 4 million fund for aiding industry in development of Jute Geo-textiles.

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