The recent gazette notification of the ministry of jute and textile regarding mandatory use of jute sacks for packing grains is by all means the last ditch effort on the part of the government towards implementing the law enacted to this effect. The law that came into force from January this year has, in effect, not been able to implement the mandatory provisions because of what is believed to be due to sloppy enforcement and poor monitoring. Enforcing compulsory use of jute sacks for packing, especially food grains, has for long been viewed as a crucially important matter for a variety of reasons. As a consequence of the global hype on the use of environment friendly and biodegradable natural materials in as much areas as possible, it was highly likely that Bangladesh being the producer of the world's finest variety of natural fibre -- jute, would make the best use of it to draw benefits in tangible economic terms. Unfortunate as it is, this has not happened so far mainly because of isolated efforts.
The government had framed the law -- Mandatory Packaging Act -- on the use of jute sacks in 2010, but in the absence of strict rules for enforcement, it was largely ignored. Lately, however, a set of rules for implementation of the law has been formulated which among others seeks to ensure use of jute sacks in packing food grains. The initiative, meant to be strictly enforced and complied with, will no doubt go beyond environmental security. It will give a boost to production of jute sacks while ensuring better price for jute growers and manufacturers of jute goods, currently facing a deepening slump.
Added to the rules for compliance is the latest gazette published on October 01 that stipulates that both the government and private importers will have to compulsorily use 100 per cent jute bags in packing imported rice and wheat. It has also made mandatory the use of jute sacks in packing paddy, wheat and maize seeds above five kilogram. The notification further stated that the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation would provide 50 per cent of the required bags and the private sector would meet the rest of the demand for the bags. A total of 212 jute mills are currently operating in the country, of which 21 are run by the government and the rest, by private owners. The country, according to the ministry of food, imported more than 3.0 million tonnes of rice and wheat in the last fiscal. This will require approximately 750 million jute bags annually.
While there should not be any arguing the merit of the move, the important issue lies in the adequate availability of jute sacks, because in the event of nonavailability, the entire exercise might get stuck. This aspect of framing laws and rules disregarding the ground realities has been common to the country's governance culture. One only hopes adequate measures are in place this time to ensure that the drive does not falter for lack of preparedness.
Use of jute sacks for packing grains
FE Team | Published: October 25, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
Share if you like