Jute Packaging Act needs amendment: Textiles Ministry

13 Aug '12

2 min read

Considering empowerment of the jute, kenaf and allied fibres industry, it is vital to amend the Jute Packaging Act so as to allow introduction of avant-garde technology, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Kiran Dhingra, has said.

Speaking at a conference on 'Application and Commercialization of Natural Fibres Composites in Infrastructure, Construction, Housing and Automotive Sectors' in New Delhi, she said about 3.5 million jute mill workers in India are directly engaged in the jute packaging process, and this has always restricted use of high-tech technology in the process of packaging.

Hence, there is a need for amending the Jute Packaging Act to provide a boost to the jute and other allied fibres industry, Ms. Dhingra said.

Aimed at boosting production of raw jute and jute packaging material, and to benefit the people engaged in jute production and other allied processes, the Act ordains compulsory use of jute packaging for supply and distribution of certain commodities.

Ms. Dhingra said jute composites have great potential with high physical properties and deliver exceptional performance at low weight, that is, high toughness, great strength and low density. It is expected that the market size of bio-composites would grow from 2010’s US$ 2.1 billion to US$ 3.8 billion by 2016.

As indicated by a study, there is a scope for use of about 20 kg of natural fibre in each of the around 6,000-7,000 million vehicles being manufactured across the world each year, she added.

Natural fibres, particularly jute, kenaf and allied fibres, find utility in production of automobile and infrastructure across the globe as a preferred alternative of synthetic fibres like glass, aramid, carbon, electrical or e-glass and polyethylene (PE) fibres, the Textiles Secretary noted.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) organized the conference in association with International Jute Study Group (IJSG), Bangladesh and National Jute Board.

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