960423

IJC sees higher

output of jute

in 1996-97

DHAKA: The International Jute Council (IJC), the policy-making body of the International Jute Organisation (IJO), has stressed global efforts to promote jute as environment-friendly commodity.

At its meeting here, the council approved several projects like jute based non-wovens to enable commercialisation, revised project on application of biotechnology fibres, improvement of jute, and allied fibres in Western Europe, and environmental assessment of jute agriculture.

IJO Director K M Rassani said that the markets in Europe and Japan were tackled in a better way, but the United States market could not be approached because of shortage of fund.

Alternative uses of jute market promotion programme were being looked into, he said despite decline in jute production, it has made dents into new areas.

World production of raw jute during 1995-96 was estimated at 2.7 million tonnes against previous year's 3.45 million tonnes.

Low output saw price of jute rise to 412 dollars per tonne from 350 dollars in June 1995. The IJO expects the production will go up in 1996-97 due to favourable prices.-PPI