India's jute sector rebounded after years of decline as government restrictions on Bangladeshi imports boosted local farmers, and BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies on Saturday. Prices reached 8,800 rupees per quintal this season, nearly double from last year, and more than 4 million workers in West Bengal gained employment. The National Jute Board and Union Minister Giriraj Singh supported the revival of the heritage crop that accounts for 78 percent of national production in West Bengal.
The government blocked port access for jute imports from Bangladesh to prevent cheap subsidized products from depressing prices and closing Indian mills. Officials are monitoring third-country routes to prevent circumvention of trade barriers. The domestic market consumes 90 percent of India's jute output, and the sector employs more than 400,000 workers in organized mills and supports farm families across West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura, and Meghalaya.
The government blocked port access for jute imports from Bangladesh to prevent cheap subsidized products from depressing prices and closing Indian mills. Officials are monitoring third-country routes to prevent circumvention of trade barriers. The domestic market consumes 90 percent of India's jute output, and the sector employs more than 400,000 workers in organized mills and supports farm families across West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura, and Meghalaya.
