Closed jute mills to be utilised as fertiliser silos

FE REPORT | Published: January 20, 2025 23:21:14

The government is planning to increase fertiliser-storage capacity by utilising closed or abandoned jute factories as warehouses, agriculture secretary Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian said on Monday.
The move is part of a long-term strategy to permanently eliminate fertiliser crisis in Bangladesh, thus enabling the purchase of fertiliser at lower prices from the global market, potentially saving Tk 15-20 billion annually.
The announcement came at the concluding session of a two-day training workshop on agricultural journalism organised by the Bangladesh Agricultural Journalists Forum (BAJF) at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB).
A total of 50 journalists from various media outlets participated in the event.
"Negotiations are underway to lease out closed jute mills under the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) for the purpose at reasonable rates," said the secretary.
The project is likely to be implemented soon, according to him.
On the topic of agricultural projects, Mr Emdad said no additional funding would be allocated to inessential schemes.
Instead, resources would be redirected to essential projects to ensure maximum efficiency.
"Unnecessary projects will be closed, and essential ones will receive more funding. There will be no fertiliser shortages in the country, and price fluctuations will also be addressed to protect farmers' interest."
The secretary also criticised the proliferation of unnecessary rice varieties, stressing the need to focus on popular, high-yield seeds.
"Research institutions have been instructed to prioritise delivering seeds that are proven to benefit farmers rather than creating numerous new varieties that lack practical use in the field," he maintained.
The BJMC announced the closure of 25 state-owned jute mills in 2020, promising upgradation and a restart within three months.
However, these mills still remain shuttered even after a lapse of nearly five years. Most of the mills are leased out to private companies with little experience in the jute sector.
In April 2021, the government opted to lease out the mills to private firms on contracts ranging from five to 30 years.
Nine mills on 516 acres of land were closed in the jute-producing belt in Khulna. Of them, 288 acres have been leased out or are in the leasing process.
Four of the nine mills were leased during the Awami League regime.
The BJMC has recently invited international applications to take lease of six additional mills, including the Star and Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills, in Khulna.
Dr Abed Chowdhury and BAJF general secretary Sahanwar Saeed Shaheen were as special guests at the event moderated by PIB trainer Shah Alam Saikat.
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