Jute millers and spinners have urged the government to formulate a comprehensive seed policy for meeting the ever growing demand for jute seed in the country. They said the government should act now to ensure the distribution of some 4,000 metric tonnes of seeds among the farmers during the coming jute growing season. Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association urged the jute ministry to convene an inter-ministerial meeting to discuss the issue of jute seed procurement and supply and other jute related problems. The Association felt that the government should set up a seed bank and distribute seeds among the farmers at subsidised prices. "The country needs some 4,000 tonnes of jute seed a year. The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and contract growers under the Jute Ministry together produce only several hundred tonnes of the same," said Sabbir Yusuf, chairman of Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association. Raw jute and jute goods fetched a total of US$ 182 million, up by US$ 38 million, in export revenue in five months (July-November) of the current financial year, Export Promotion Bureau statistics show. "We want to ensure that raw jute is exported only after meeting the entire domestic demand for the same," said Ahmmad Hossain, former chairman of the BJSA. He said the value addition of jute products is more than 100 per cent and export of raw jute fetches a lower amount of foreign currency. Ahmmad said the spinners and millers are currently facing raw jute crisis. A top official of the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation said they have been talking to all stakeholders in a bid to help the government formulate a comprehensive jute policy. He said he is trying to push ahead with an idea of advising the jute growers to allow a part of their jute plots for exclusive seed production. "This is how we could meet our entire seed demand," he said. "We must have a steady and smooth flow of raw jute to our spinners and millers," said the BJMC official.
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