Export of jute, jute goods witness steady growth

Export of jute and jute products has maintained a steady growth as the country exported jute and jute goods worth $1.02 billion in fiscal year 2017-18 (FY18), up 6.56 per cent from $962.4 million in fiscal year 2016-17 (FY17).

According to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), the country fetched $155.6 million from raw jute export, $687.7 million from jute yarn and ‘kundali’, $122.8 million from jute sack and bag and $99.3 million from other jute products.

“There is huge demand of Bangladesh jute and jute goods in 60 counties in the country. We can increase jute and jute goods export several times by diversifying our products. The government has already taken steps in this regard,” said Bangladesh Jute Mill Corporation (BJMC) chairman Dr Mahmudul Hasan.

Talking to BSS, Hasan said the government has already increased cash incentive along with extending policy support. Cash incentive has been creased to 20 per cent for diversification of export-oriented jute products, he said, adding that as a result, export of quality jute products has increased several times.

He said people across the world are increasingly becoming conscious about the benefits of the use of natural yarns and Bangladesh is also producing new diversified jute products.

Steps have already been taken for branding Bangladesh jute products in the international market, he added.

Hasan also said measures have already been taken to collect quality jute seeds for increasing jute production so that the jute growers become interested to grow jute in a large scale.

Moreover, steps have been taken to modernise jute mills in public sector for producing diversified products.

According to BJMC, there are 22 jute mills in operation under public sector while the number of jute mills in private sector is around 200.

Major buyers of Bangladesh jute and jute products include Belgium, Canada, the USA, the UK, China, Italy, Germany, India, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Pakistan, Brazil, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Thailand, Turkey, South Africa and Romania.