Mandatory use of jute sacks

The recent verdict of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, upholding the government order to make mandatory use of jute sacks for packaging rice has provided a much sought-after support that the country's jute sacks industry needed for long. It is, no doubt, a last ditch attempt to enforce the government decision on the use of sacks made of jute as against those of  plastic or polythene. The ministry of textiles and jute on September 26, 2013 had issued a circular on mandatory use of jute bags for commercial packaging of rice by the private rice millers and rice traders. It had also asked them to stop using polythene/plastic bags by December last year. But the circular was far from seeing the results it was meant for as millers and traders paid least heed to comply with its instructions. Subsequently, some rice mill owners filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking a stay on the enforcement of the circular. In response, the High Court in its ad-interim order, stayed the directive relating to the mandatory jute-bag use. Now, following the Appellate Division's verdict vacating the stay order, it is for the concerned authorities and law enforcers to ensure compliance with the court order.
As always with most government directives in this country, the lacuna often lies with the practicality or ground realities in implementing those.  As for the use of jute sacks, the immediate difficulty faced by the millers and traders was non-availability of jute sacks in sufficient quantity all over the country. Coupled with it was the price of jute sacks, reportedly higher, compared with those made of plastic or other artificial materials. Re-usability of the latter was also a matter of convenience that appeared to discourage the users from being compliant.
Enforcing compulsory use of jute sacks for packaging, especially food grains, has for long been viewed as a crucially important matter for a variety of reasons. In the wake of the global hype on the use of environment-friendly, bio-degradable natural materials in as much areas as possible, it was highly likely that Bangladesh, being the producer of world's finest variety of natural fibre -- jute, would make the best use of it to draw benefits in tangible economic terms. If strictly complied with, the use of jute sacks will no doubt go beyond environmental security. Observers believe that it will ensure better price for jute growers and jute goods manufacturers, who are currently facing a lingering slump in view of falling demand.
It is not clear whether there has been a considerable improvement in the availability of jute sacks. A news report published recently says that the state-owned Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) is now in a position to double its production of jute sacks from the existing 200-250 million pieces a year, if market demand grows. In order that a planned action could be taken for compulsory use of jute sacks, it would be imperative for the authorities to determine the quantities of rice likely to be packed by jute sacks annually and the country's current production of jute sacks.