Venting their frustration over high raw jute prices, millers and exporters sought necessary action from the government to ensure fair price of the produce in the local market.
They made the call at a meeting held at the Ministry of Textiles and Jute recently.
Currently, the prices of raw jute ranges from Tk 2,800 to Tk 4,000 per maund, based on their quality. The exporters said they cannot compete in the international market because of high prices of raw jute in the local market.
The meeting was presided over by Golam Dastagir Gazi, minister for the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, in his office where representatives from different associations, and officials were present.
Bangladesh Jute Goods Exporters Association said a significant number of mills could not operate their units because of scarcity of raw jute since last year. About 30 per cent of the mills have been closed to date.
It also suggested banning exports of raw jute until December this year to help ensure supply of raw jute to millers at reasonable prices.
According to Bangladesh Jute Mills Association, millers purchase about 6.0 million tonnes of raw jute from farmers each year. Prices of raw jute should be fixed to help the producers, the association mentioned.
The meeting also emphasised the necessity of giving supports to the farmers so that they can produce increased volumes of jute and get fair prices.
Bangladesh Jute Associa-tion (BJA) sought inclusion of raw jute export in the list of sectors affected by Covid-19 pandemic and sought stimulus package for them.
About seven to eight million bales of raw jute are produced in the country each year. The government projected the target of 8.6 million bales of raw jute production from 0.75 million hectares of land this year.
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