To revive the 'golden fibre' of Bangladesh and encourage more farmers to cultivate jute, the government will distribute Tk 75 million worth of free seeds to 330,000 marginal and small farmers.
The Ministry of Agriculture announced that each farmer would receive one kilogramme of 'BJRI Toshapat-8' or 'Rabi-1' seed, enough to cover one bigha (33 decimals) plot.
This announcement has come as farmers are gradually shifting to other crops after facing declining profitability in jute farming.
Jute production reached an all-time high of 8.89 million bales in fiscal year 2018 but has since fluctuated, reaching 8.45 million bales in FY23.
The output witnessed a drastic fall to 7.72 million bales in FY20, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the field-level jute seed distribution will begin soon.
Agriculture Minister Prof Dr Abdus Shahid said jute remained the second-largest export sector in Bangladesh.
He said the current government has classified jute as an agricultural product, providing benefits for both businesses and growers.
He also elaborated on recent efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in jute seed production, currently an area of large import dependence.
Dr Sheikh Mohammad Bakhtiar, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), said though the use of synthetic fibre (polyethylene) has increased vastly, sustainable development lately has recreated a huge demand for eco-friendly jute and jute products worldwide.
Bangladeshi jute now finds applications in car manufacturing, paper and pulp production, insulation, geotextiles, healthcare, footwear, aircraft, computer casings, electronics, marine industries and sporting goods, he added.
Elaborating on the government's pro-jute policies, Dr MA Awal, director general of the Bangladesh Jute Research Institute, said Bangladesh currently exports more than 4.3 million bales of jute and jute products, generating nearly $1.0 billion annually.
"To sustain the pace of the jute and jute item exports, there is no alternative to boost raw jute output further", he concluded.
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