DHAKA: Bangladeshi Exporters have brought back a big chunk of raw jute that had been stock piled at Benapole border as New Delhi’s abrupt imposition of four percent duty made importers reluctant. Importers insisted that Bangladeshi exporters pay the duty. However, some traders at both the countries have shared the duty money and resolved the irritating issue.  

“Many exporters have brought back their goods from the border point after being disappointed with the attitude of their Indian importers,” said Mahfuzul Haque, chairman of Bangladesh Jute Association BJA, a platform of raw jute exporters. 

He observed that although Bangladesh is importing several billion dollars worth of goods from India every year, Delhi is not allowing tiny jute imports. “They often create various barriers whenever they see export from Bangladesh to India rises,” said Haque, putting his fingers at some Indian bureaucrats. 

According to sources, the government’s high ups in Bangladesh were well aware of the matter but did not raise the issue during the recent official talks with Pranab Mukherjee. The problem arises as the Indian customs started realising the duty without informing the exporters and importers earlier, a source pointed out. According to BJA, around 30 per cent of 200 trucks (with jute and jute goods worth about Tk 10 crore) which had queued at the Benapole border point came back with the exportables as importers and exporters could not settle who would pay. Some exporters paid Indian import duties on behalf of their importers before sending their consignments.  

Mahfuzul Haque pointed out that the exporters were forced to bring back goods as they were counting losses for the delay. “If a truck stands idle for a day, the exporters have to count Tk 1200-1500 as loss.” The exporters would lose around 40 per cent of their money due to imposition of such duty and stuck up goods at the border point, he observed. Rezaul Karim, vice-chairman of Shippers’ Council of Bangladesh expressed disappointment over the matter as it was not raised at the recently held Dhaka-Delhi official talks. The sudden imposition of such duty caused tremendous difficulties in realising export to the neighbouring country. Although Delhi imposed the duty on March 12, the gazette notification was published last week and the customs officials were not allowing goods to enter without duty.

The Indian importers were also not aware of the duty. As a result, they were surprised and now trying to communicate with the high government officials to settle. The customs officials at Petrapole, Indian side of the border are not allowing goods against which letter of credit were opened after March 12, the source pointed out. Bangladesh exported a total of 13.75 lakh bales of raw jute during the period of July-February. Out of the volume, India imported 5.38 bales at Tk 329 crore.

Source: The Independent, Bangladesh

May 10, 2012

GOPALGANJ: Agriculture Extension Department has taken up a programme of jute cultivation in 18,901 hectares of land with a production target of 2,07,911 bales in five upazilas of Gopalganj district during the current year.

Department of Agriculture Extension and Bangladesh Agricultural Department Corporation distributed necessary seeds, fertilizers, pesticides etc. among the cultivators to implement the programme.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

May 09, 2012

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata to explore investment opportunities in the state. Before the meeting, Mrs Clinton was at a session at the La Martiniere School for Girls meeting with a cross-section of the people of Kolkata. The session was moderated by NDTV's Group Editor Barkha Dutt.

There was a session for questions and answer. Hillary Clinton receives so many questions that she never been asked. One audience asked a question regarding how India and USA could work together for jute….

Audience question: I am a Bengali and I am a designer. My question to you is that the glamour and fashion industry is still very much disconnected with the reality of global warming and so many other important issues, so my question is how can we connect these two worlds, I have been working a lot with jute which is a very eco-friendly fabric from eastern India, so my request to you is how can we promote this fabric in the US and how can the two countries work better with our textile and my second question is how important it is...

Hillary Clinton: I think that's a very interesting idea and I believe the best way is to connect our fashion designers with their counterparts here in India and few like fashion design councils or something and trade information about more environmentally sustainable materials and means of production and I will be happy to encourage things like that.

For details visit:

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/ndtv-exclusive-hillary-clinton-on-fdi-mamata-outsourcing-and-hafiz-saeed-full-transcript-207593 

Source: www.ndtv.com

May 08, 2012

Smt. Panabakka Lakshmi, Minister of State for Textile has informed that, as per Second Handloom Census, 1995-96, there were 65.5 lakh handloom weavers and allied workers. Subsequently, there has been reduction in the number and as per Third Handloom Census, 2009-10, there are 43.32 lakh handloom weavers and allied workers.

The Working Group on Textile and Jute Industry for 12th Five Year Plan in its report has projected that direct and indirect employment in textiles, including handloom sector, at the end of 12th Five Year Plan would be 121.2 million, as compared to 105.40 millions at the end of 11th Five Year Plan. The required manpower is to be met through Integrated Skill Development Scheme and other developmental and welfare schemes and programmes of the Ministry of Textiles.

The Working Group on Textiles and Jute Industry has estimated the cloth production to be 1,11,848 million sq. meters in terminal year of 12th Plan, as against the base of 64,902 million sq. meters cloth production for the terminal year of 11th Plan. Similarly, the export earning at the end of 12th Plan has been estimated US$ 65.41 billion by the terminal year of 12th Five Year Plan.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a demand driven scheme in operation since 2.2.2006, backed by legislation. State Governments are obliged to provide up to at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household for doing unskilled manual work, if demanded, at any time of the year, as mandated in the Act.

The objective of MGNREGA is to unskilled employment to rural household as per list of works included in Schedule I of the Act and it is not intended to provide skilled employment. Weaving on traditional machines is not included in Schedule I of the Act and, hence, is not a permissible activity under MGNREGA.

The Government of India is aware of the difficulties faced by the handloom weavers, who face stiff competition from international markets, powerloom and mill sector and Government is constantly making concerted efforts to arrest the declining trend of the weavers. Towards this end, the Government is implementing following 5 schemes for handloom weavers with a budget outlay of Rs.803 crore during 2012-13:

(i)       Integrated Handloom Development Scheme

(ii)      Marketing and Export Promotion Scheme

(iii)      Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme

(iv)     Mill Gate Price Scheme

(v)      Diversified Handloom Development Scheme

The Government of India has approved a Financial Package for loan waiver of overdues of weavers’ coop. societies and individuals as on 31-3-2010 with a total outlay of Rs.3884 crore, for benefiting about 15000 weavers’ cooperative societies and 3 lakh individual weavers.

Further, for easy credit availability to handloom weavers not covered under financial package, the Government provides margin money assistance @ Rs 4200/- per weaver, interest Subvention of 3% per annum for 3 years from the date of first disbursal /and credit guarantee for 3 years by the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) for which the Government pays the required guarantee fee and annual service fee.

As regards availability of cheap hank yarn, 10% price subsidy on silk and cotton hank yarn has been approved by the Government to ensure supply of subsidized yarn to handloom sector. The Government has further approved enhancement in the freight reimbursement for transportation of different types of yarn used by the handloom sector in order to offset the increase in fuel cost. The import duty on raw silk yarn has been reduced from 30% to 5%, in order to bring down the prices of different types of silk yarn in the country

Source: Fibre to Fashion, India,

May 07, 2012

Jute Corporation of India (JCI) started the MSP operation in Assam from 26.08.2011 and major operations started w.e.f. 12.10.2011. Till date, JCI has procured about 2.30 lakh quintals of different grades of raw jute from farmers under MSP, out of which 32831.78 quintals of raw jute were procured in Assam. Due to the mechanism in place for procurement of raw jute by JCI, the prices are not allowed to fall below MSP so as to avoid hardship to the farmers.

The Jute Corporation of India (JCI) is the nodal agency of the Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India for procurement of raw jute through its 171 Departmental Purchase Centres (DPCs) and State Cooperative bodies in all major jute growing states at MSP declared by the Govt. of India. As per the mandate, the JCI procures the jute directly from the farmers who come to sell their raw jute at its DPCs and other Centres operated by State Cooperative Bodies.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India

May 07, 2012

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday said the threat of plastic bags, which is choking lakes, ponds and urban sewer system, is bigger than the atom bomb for the next generation.

Issuing notice in a PIL to the Centre and state governments, a bench of Justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya said unless a total ban on plastic bags was put in place the situation would be uncontrollable.

The PIL petitioners through senior advocate Shyam Divan cited studies showing veterinary hospital operation data finding 30‐50 kg of plastic in cows stomachs across the country.

He said generally people dispose of food in plastic bags in municipal bins. Attracted by the food the cows eat it up along with the plastic bag, which is found to get stuck inside the cow's stomach.

Source: Economics Times, India

May 07, 2012

Pakistan Jute Mills Association (PJMA) has planned to grow jute on 1,000 acres of land in the next crop year with the objective of decreasing dependence on imported jute to meet the raw material requirements of the local jute mills.

Pakistan being the largest importer is currently importing jute worth 105 million dollars annually to meet the industry requirement.

In Pakistan jute consumption is generally considered for packing materials in the form of gunny bags for the storage of different commodities.

High prices of the raw fibre and embargoes by the producing countries coupled with economic slump and high costs of production badly affected the capacity utilisation factor of Pakistani mills in the past, sources in the PJMA told Business Recorder here on Tuesday.

This local industry led drive is aimed at promoting cultivation of jute crops in the country and to find out the true potential of this crop in the present scenario.

The current efforts if succeeded will help industry easing out their import bills with local fibre but consolidated strategy may also resolve the prevailing energy crises in the shape of huge biomass from surplus sticks as by-product of the fibre which is an established source of local fuel in the times when gas shut downs have created an utter demand for an alternate energy source.

The benefits of the jute cultivation drive will ultimately reduce the cost of raw material, which is by far the highest cost with them and farmers will have an alternate short duration cash crop which can thrive in adverse climatic conditions too, the sources added.

They said that this year in view of limited quantity of seed available with the industry, the cultivation drive was restricted to around 44 acres of land mainly in Muzaffargarh and DG Khan districts but small acreages of land have also been sown in Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Faisalabad districts in Punjab and Thatta in Sindh.

The farmers have been promised that this 110 to 120 days Kharif crop will be purchased at the base price of Rs 1600 to Rs 2000 per 40 kgs depending upon grade with premium paid on quality of fibre too making this crop requiring no pesticides a far better economic return oriented against other crops.

Farmers are also being provided free seed and fertiliser through member mills. New fibre extraction methods will reduce the labour and time requirements for the extraction of the fibre.

Moreover, the water used for the retting a best organic fertiliser will increase the fertility of soil for subsequent crop as it contains micro flora. Furthermore, better quality materials will be available indigenously for the storage of agri-products.

"The packaging made from natural fibres like jute has the ability to absorb moisture from grains and therefore, proved best storage medium to keep nutritional and germination capability of the grains intact.

Source: Business Recorder, Pakistan

May 06, 2012

DHAKA: Around 200 trucks carrying raw jute and jute goods valued over Tk 10 crore have been stranded at the Benapole border as Delhi all of a sudden imposed a four percent import duty on raw jute and jute goods.

Raw jute exporters said sudden imposition of such duty caused tremendous difficulties in sending export consignments to the next door neighbour. Although Delhi imposed the duty on March 12, the gazette notification was published last week and the customs officials are not allowing goods to enter without duty.

The Indian importers were also not aware of the duty. As a result, they were surprised and now trying to communicate with the higher authority for releasing those farm produces and jute handicrafts. The customs officials at Petrapole, Indian side of border are not allowing goods against which letter of credit were opened after March 12, the source pointed out.

We are in trouble as the sudden imposition of duty brought tremendous difficulties for the raw jute traders who had already been suffering for the low price of the natural fibre in the international market this year, said Mahfuzul Haque, Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Association. He said India imposed the duty arbitrarily and that there are no such duties in any countries in the region. Although the importers are liable to pay the duty, but, ultimately the levy comes to the shoulder of exporters. Indian importers take it from Bangladeshi exporters, BJA chairman claimed.  He demanded that India immediately withdrawal the duty and allow the entry of the jute-loaded trucks. “We are helpless because our objections do not work,” he told the Independent, expressing his hopelessness.

He informed the Jute minister and other high officials of the government about the matter over telephone as the government offices were closed on Friday and Saturday. But no actions followed.
Haque hopes that the issue would be raised at the official talk between Dhaka-Delhi during the ongoing visit of Indian finance minister Pranab Mukharjee. The BJA chairman further said that he would send a letter to the Jute ministry tomorrow (Monday) informing the matter officially and expressing exporters concern.

“Often Indian authority imposes abruptly such duty causing tremendous discomforts for the raw jute and jute goods exporters,” said Rezaul Karim, BJA former chairman and one of the leading jute exporter. Karim said though Delhi withdraws such duty after some times, the exporters face sufferings by this time.  

According to sources, Bangladesh exported a total of 13.75 lakh bales of raw jute during the period of July-February in the current 2011-12 fiscal. The total earning from jute exports stood at Tk 928 crore. Of the total export volume, 5.48 lakh bales were exported to India and fetched Tk 329 crore. 
During the same period of the previous fiscal, the country exported 12 lakh bales of raw jute fetching Tk 1,132 crore.

Although the export volume was low, the earning in the previous year was, however, up due to higher prices of raw jute last year.

Source: The Independent, Bangladesh

May 06, 2012

The country's apex trade body Friday urged the Japanese government to allow duty-free market access of all Bangladeshi products to their country for further expansion of bilateral trade. "We want duty-free market access to Japan for all Bangladeshi products to help lessen the country's trade imbalance with Japan," President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) AK Azad said.

The FBCCI chief made the appeal at a breakfast meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Japan Katsuya Okada at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital.

He called upon the Japanese entrepreneurs to invest in sectors like value added jute and leather products, power, pharmaceuticals ingredient and pharmaceuticals under joint venture or public-private partnership (PPP).

"We encourage the Japanese for further investment in our potentially competitive and attractive industries. They can also invest in the planned 7 special economic zones (SEZs) under PPP or 100 per cent privately owned SEZs," he mentioned.

"They may also set up an exclusively Japanese export processing zone (EPZ) in Bangladesh and hold exclusive Bangladeshi trade fairs in different cities of Japan," he added.

Mr Azad said the bilateral trade volume between the two countries had reached US$ 1.74 billion in the fiscal year (FY) 2010-11.

He said exports from Bangladesh to Japan had been recorded at $ 434.12 million during the period due mainly to generalised system of preference (GSP) facilities earlier granted by Japan for some products of the country especially ready-made garments (RMG).

"Our imports from Japan stand at $ 1309.14 million and thus the trade balance of $ 875.02 million is largely in favour of Japan," he said.

The products that Bangladesh mainly exports to Japan are woven garments, knitwear, leather, frozen foods, jute goods, agro-products, raw jute and tea. Major import items from Japan by Bangladesh include vehicles, machinery and mechanical appliances, electrical equipment, mineral products, chemical products, textiles and textile articles.

Ambassador of Japan in Dhaka Shiro Sadoshima, Director General (DG) of Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Japan Kunio Umeda, FBCCI First Vice-President Md Jasimuddin, Vice-President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, former adviser to the caretaker government and Chairman of Apex Group Syed Manzur Elahi, President of Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies Tapan Chowdhury, President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Asif Ibrahim, Chairman and Managing Director of Uttara Group Matiur Rahman and Vice-President (Finance) of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) AH Aslam Sunny, among others, were present

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

May 05, 2012

New Delhi: Failure to achieve targets and fully utilise funds set aside for Jute technology mission in last five years has forced the government to extend the deadline to complete the mission by another two years. As against Rs 355.55 crore sanctioned for the mission, textile ministry has been able to deploy about 65 per cent funds or Rs 231 crore across four mini missions, thereby having a left over of 35 per cent funds as unused besides falling short of the physical targets as well.

“We are yet to achieve the physical targets for setting up jute parks, market yards, and purchase centres. Also, there is still a significant amount left unused for the mission as a result of which the government has recently extended the deadline for completion of the project by two years till the end of this financial year,” a textile ministry official told Financial Chronicle.

Centre had launched the Jute technology mission for 2006-11 to develop jute industry and push for growth in jute farming community across West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya.The government had proposed to set up nine jute parks, four in West Bengal, one in Bihar and two in northeastern region. However, even after six years, none of the six parks, on which construction has already started, are fully functional as on December 31, 2011.

Similarly, out of the targeted 12 market yards, work has been completed on eight yards while the remaining four are in progress and out of the 40 departmental purchase centres, only 21 have been completed and the work is yet to be completed in 19 other centres.

Jute technology mission has four mini missions pertaining to agriculture research and seed development, agronomic practices, harvest and post harvest techniques, primary and secondary processing of raw jute, diversified product development and marketing and distribution. The funds allocated for each mission was Rs 7.1 crore, Rs 49.9 crore, Rs 64.8 crore and Rs 233.8 crore.

It is estimated that the mission will benefit nearly 0.37 million workers employed in jute mills and ancillary units as well as support the livelihood of around 4.0 million farm families. Besides, it will help to modernise the jute industry and enable the country reap benefits of enhanced levels of jute diversification.

Source: www.worldjute.com, India

May 02, 2012

The sowing of jute is yet to pick up this season despite a higher minimum support price and favourable weather conditions.

Jute sowing starts in the last week of March and continues up to end May. Harvesting begins in end June or in the first week of July.

Labour crunch

According to senior officials in the jute industry, there has been a 10-15 per cent decline in sowing in north Bengal, Bihar and Assam on account of labour problems. Sowing is yet to be completed in south Bengal.

South Bengal districts of Murshidabad and Nadia account for over 60 per cent of the country's total jute sowing and production. “Non-availability of labour is one of the biggest issues confronting the industry and this is affecting sowing in these areas,” a senior official said.

The production is likely to be either a tad lower or similar to last year. The production of raw jute was close to 110 lakh bales (1 bale – 180 kg) last year.

The Union Government recently announced a 31 per cent higher minimum support price for raw jute at Rs 2,200 a quintal (Rs 1,675 a quintal) for the TD-5 variety of jute ex-Assam for the 2012-13 crop year.

Area constant

Area under cultivation has remained constant at about nine lakh hectares over the last few years. Bengal accounts for almost 67 per cent of the total area under cultivation at 6 lakh hectare. Of this, 4 lakh hectares lie in Murshidabad and Nadia, the senior official said. Hugli, Burdwan, Bankura, Howrah and Midnapore are some of the other jute producing districts of the State.

Balance sheet

The industry has a huge carryover stock of 30-35 lakh bales, coupled with an estimated production of 110 lakh bales, the total supply would be adequate to meet the country's total demand which stands at about 105 lakh bales, said Mr Manish Poddar, Chairman, Indian Jute Mills' Association.

Source: The Hindu, Business Line, India

May 02, 2012

Jute goods manufacturers and exporters are moving fast towards valued added shipments, with hand-made, semi-industrial products spurring the revival of the sector, industry people said.

Bangladesh now manufactures diversified jute products such as rugs, decorative fabrics, clothing, soft luggage, footwear, greeting cards, moulded door panels, tassel, wall hanging, gardening accessories, ladies' purse, mobile pouches, baskets, albums, wrapping papers, home-textile including cushion covers, curtain panels and table linen, they added.

But the diversified product manufacturers failed to grab the potential global share due to government's policy support in developing research relating to global market trend, demand of products, designs and technology, they claimed.

Bangladesh fetched US$ 1.0 billion in the last fiscal year (FY 2010-11) by exporting raw jute, jute yarn and twine, jute sacks and bags and other goods but the exporters said the earning could be easily doubled through diversification of traditional products.

The sector earned $ 710.57 million in July-March period of FY 2011-12 which is 12.49 per cent lower compared to the same period of the last fiscal and fell short by 26.33 per cent from the target set for the first nine months of the current fiscal.

"Our products have moved up in the value chain. And these diversified jute goods have immense demand in international market where buyers are ready to pay a good price for the environment-friendly and recyclable products," President of Bangladesh Jute Diversified Product Manufacturers and Exporters Association - a newly formed body to promote the sector - Shahedul Islam Helal told.

It's high time to go for diversification of our traditional products to enjoy the opportunity of the global market, he said. On an average, we get only $ 600 for a tonne of raw jute export while per tonne of jute yarn fetches $ 900, hessian sack $ 1,300 and diversified products $ 3,000-4,000, he explained. Mr Helal said diversified products add four times more value compared to the traditional ones.

"Our value-added products are a hit in the US, EU and Canada. Value addition is also a must for our survival because traditional export of jute goods is no longer competitive," Managing Director of Creation Private Ltd Rashedul Karim Munna said.

The manufacturers and exporters demanded declaring the jute sector as agro-based industry to enjoy the fiscal facilities, including the sector in the export policy as a potential sector, creating a duty-free export processing zone for jute goods manufacturers including the diversified product producers and offering soft loan for the SMEs on flexible terms to boost the sector.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

May 01, 2012

Bangladesh may sign an agreement with Uzbekistan for importing cotton during a meeting between the officials of the two countries, scheduled to be held early next month in Tashkent, official said.

The first meeting of Bangladesh-Uzbekistan Joint Working Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation will take place in the Uzbek capital on May 5-8.

To this end a high-powered Bangladeshi delegation, comprising government officials and businessmen of different sectors, will leave the country on May 4. Commerce Secretary Md Ghulam Hussain will lead the delegation.

During the meeting issues on cotton import as well as export of more Bangladeshi items to the country will get preference.

Bangladesh has stepped up efforts to increase trade relation with the former Soviet republics, including Uzbekistan.

"The major aim of the visit to Uzbekistan is to talk about cotton import from the country. Besides, the Bangladeshi delegation will meet the Uzbek officials and businessmen to discuss exporting more Bangladeshi goods, such as ready-made garments (RMG), pharmaceuticals, and jute yarns and goods," an additional secretary of commerce ministry told the FE Sunday.

Chairman of the Bangladesh Jute Association (BJA) and a member of the delegation Mahfuzul Huq said Uzbekistan needs a large quantity of jute yarns, as it has a number of jute-mills, built during the Soviet era.

"Uzbekistan is a potential market for Bangladeshi jute yarns. We will try our best to boost export of jute yarns there," he told the FE.

A director of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) said Bangladesh exported 0.4 million tonnes of jute yarns to different countries during the fiscal year 2010-11, and earned about US$ 400 million.

Bangladesh exported jute goods and various textile items to Uzbekistan worth $2.576 million during the fiscal, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) statistics.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

April 30, 2012

NARSINGDI, Apr 28 (BSS): The traditional handicrafts in the district are waning with the glut of plastic and other metal goods in the market.

Once a good number of skill craftsmen in the district were engaged in making goods using locally available raw materials such as bamboo, cane, straw, claw, jute, cotton and other fibers.

Unemployed girls and distressed women had found livelihood in the profession of making handicrafts and they used to run on the earnings from the goods. The handicraft profession had a substantial role in removing poverty and achieving economic comfort in the villages in the district. Noteworthy products were basket, hand fan, wall hanging, toys, flute, ashtray, coolmat, mora, kula and potteries.

In the recent years the number of skilled craftsmen have been compelled to leave their traditional profession as the demand for their products came down alarmingly. About 75 percent of the craftsmen have already left their profession.

Talking to BSS Halal Miah, a 60 years old craftsman of Patoli union under Belabo upazila, said he and his wife produced mora, kula and coolmat and had sold those in the local market and earned good amount. Now, they are passing hard days living in poverty as the demand for their product has fallen drastically.

Sofia Begum, 50, of Sadarchar union under Shibpur upazila said she and her daughter produced basket and kula and sold those in the local market against handsome amount. Now they are living in abject poverty.

Like Halel and Sofia, housewife Rina, Kohinur, Hafiza and craftman Abul Kasham, Chan Miah, Jalal Miah narrated their sorrowful stories saying they were happy with their traditional profession. Now they are living hand to mouth.

They said the demand for their product has fallen because of the invasion of goods made of plastic. They do not get fair prices for their products. On the other hand, handicrafts production cost increased manifold. So, they had to leave the profession.

Prices of different varieties of rice have slightly gone down with the arrival of new boro rice in the markets.

Some traders in the district told BSS that prices are expected to go down further when the supply of new rice would be adequate.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

April 29, 2012

Property worth Rs 20 million was gutted when a fire engulfed Hattimudha-6 Morang based Swastik Jute Mill on Saturday afternoon. The fire had started due to short-circuit when all the machines were in operation. According to police, breaker, finisher and other machines were gutted and so were products ready to be sent to the market. The fire started at around 3:00 pm and was doused after two hours with fire engines from Biratnagar, Dharan and Itahari. A team headed by Morang DSP Uma Prasad Chaturbedi reached the incident site immediately after the fire started in the mill. Chaturbedi informed that the fire was doused soon, as the fire engines had arrived on time.

Source: The Himalayan, Nepal

April 29, 2012

Bangladesh will be able to boost export of Carpet Backing Cloth (CBC) to Australia and New Zealand as the leading businesses of those countries have planned to visit Dhaka soon following the government assurance of offering competitive price and high quality of the product, official said.

To export more jute goods including CBC to those countries, a high -powered government delegation headed by Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute (MoTJ) Md Ashraful Moqbul has visited Australia and New Zealand recently.

The exports of CBC from Bangladesh to Australia and New Zealand have drastically declined due mainly to global recession and widespread use of synthetic for producing carpet by maximum companies in those countries.

The country now exports only 30 per cent of CBC to Australia and New Zealand which was 70 per cent in the past.

The Bangladesh team visited Australian cities of Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne and Auckland in New Zealand to boost CBC export.

The team held talks with the farmers' association, importers and visited different carpet producing factories there.

"We tried to motivate them (Australian and New Zealander importers) to import CBC from Bangladesh. They agreed to visit Bangladesh within the next few months following our offer of price competitiveness and high quality of CBC product," the Senior Secretary of MoTJ told the FE Wednesday.

He said that they assured the importers of Australia and New Zealand to fulfil their requirement with timely shipment of CBC.

On the other hand the importers of Australia and New Zealand had given assurances to Bangladesh delegation that they would visit Bangladesh within the next few months, he said adding they would initially give trial order to Bangladesh to supply CBC to them.

"Right now the importers of those countries (Australia and New Zealand) have agreed to give us trial order for exporting CBC by Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) to them," Mr Moqbul said and added that Bangladesh would be able to export CBC with competitive price.

Asked how to increase export of jute products being produced mainly by BJMC following the squeezing of jute goods exports in some Middle East and African countries, Mr Moqbul has said there has been a golden opportunity for Bangladesh to export jute sacks to Thailand as Bangkok has decided to use jute sacks for packing rice instead of other artificial fibre sacks.

"The jute mills under BJMC have sufficient quantity of raw jute now for producing jute sacks for fulfilling the internal and external demand," he added.

A director of BJMC said that Bangladesh had exported 2,000 roles (1240 tonnes) of CBC to Australia and New Zealand worth Tk 130 million during the fiscal year (FY) 2010-11. He said that BJMC has made net profit worth Tk 190 million during the FY 2010-11 since 1982.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said if the Centre did not provide enough jute bags for storing the bumper wheat crop by April 30, he alongwith BJP MPs would stage a protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Parliament premises. "We have no option except to stage a protest to draw the attention of Centre to the crisis," Chouhan told reporters, after meeting Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, K V Thomas, in New Delhi earlier in the day. Leader of Opposition and Vidisha MP, Sushma Swaraj, would lead the protest, he said, alleging that Centre was discriminating against the state on the issue. In view of the expected bumper crop, the state had paid in advance for jute bags to the central agencies, he said. This year the state was expected to produce around 80 lakh MT of wheat, of which the state agencies had procured 36 lakh MT so far, he said. "Despite making timely arrangement for purchasing wheat from farmers, the shortage of jute bags created problem," the Chief Minister said. "When we had sufficient stock of the jute bags, the state agencies used to purchase 1.60 lakh MT per day but after this crisis it decreased to just 1 lakh MT per day." So far the state had received 1,73,336 bales (each bale: 5,000 bags) while 1,45,814 bales were yet to come, he said.

Source: ibnlive.in.com, India

April 25, 2012

RAWALPINDI: Commerce Secretary Usman Ali said here yesterday that the Government’s efforts to create export consciousness among industrialists had yielded encouraging results, and during the last three years, exports had gone up by about Rs8 crores. Barring general commodities like jute, cotton textile and rice exports, the volume of other commodities had increased and alongside destinations of export, trade had also expanded.

The official, who was reviewing Pakistan’s export performance, said that a number of new measures had been taken to provide incentive to export trade. Industries which receive licences, either 100 per cent of FOB value of their exports, or equal to 40 per cent of the value of their exports, may use their licences for import of machinery for balancing or modernising the existing capacity. Machinery thus imported shall not be transferable.

All exporting units have been given further facility of obtaining licences in advance of actual exports, provided adequate bank guarantees are furnished by them. A special cell has been established in the Ministry of Commerce to maintain close personal contact with the exporters. The cell will be further strengthened so that it can be gradually developed into a regular liaison organisation between the Government and the exporters.

Mr Ali said the Government was trying to create export consciousness among the industrialists and efforts were bearing encouraging results. He asked the Press to help create this consciousness. Replying to a question, he said that diversification of trade was already taking place as new export markets were being found.—Staff Correspondent.

Source: DAWN, Pakistan

April 25, 2012

Raw jute worth Tk 10 crore was gutted in a devastating fire at an export oriented jute baling press at Saidpur in Nilphamari district on Monday evening. Fire brigade sources said the fire originated from an electric short circuit at Bright Fibre Jute Baling Press at Tulshiram Road in the municipality area at about 6.30pm, reports our correspondent.

Within a short time, the fire, which followed a huge explosion, engulfed all the four godowns of the press packed with raw jute. One of the owners of the jute press, Kabir Chowdhury, told newsmen that there was around 40 thousand maunds of raw jute worth about Tk 10 crore in the four godowns.

The jute bales were supposed to be exported to Pakistan, China and Thailand, he added. In Jhenidah, fire gutted a cotton factory in Kaliganj upazila town yesterday, causing damage to cotton and machineries worth Tk 18 lakh, reports our correspondent.

Factory owner Ruhul Amin said that the fire originated from the pressure machine at the factory. In Natore, a biscuit factory was gutted in a fire at Collegepara in Singra upazila town on Monday night, said our correspondent.

Local sources said the fire originated from an oven at Pabna Biscuit Factory at about 10:30pm and soon engulfed the whole factory. Factory authorities claimed that valuables worth about Tk 20 lakh were gutted in the blaze.

In Thakurgaon, at least 103 houses were gutted in separate fire incidents at Shangaon Kuatol village under Baliadangi upazila, Balia village under Sadar upazila and Bishnpur village under Ranishankoil upazila on Monday afternoon and early yesterday, reports our correspondent.

Local people and fire-fighters said, at least 50 houses were gutted in a devastating fire at Shangaon Kuatol village. The fire originated from the kitchen of one Md. Lablu's house at 1:30pm on Monday, they said.

In another fire incident at Balia village 11 houses were gutted at 5:10pm on Monday.

The fire broke out from a kitchen at one Abdul Hamid's house and soon spread to adjacent houses. At least 42 houses were gutted in another devastating fire at Bishnupur village under Ranishankoil upazila on early yesterday. Fire fighters could not say how the fire broke out but said it damaged properly worth Tk 5 lakh.

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh

April 25, 2012

GAIBANDHA, Apr 23 (BSS): Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has taken an extensive programme on jute cultivation in the district during the current season.

Office sources said a total of 10,329 hectares of land would be brought under this cultivation programme with a target of producing 1,10,195 bales of jute.

Of the total, some 1100 hectares of land would be cultivated in Sadar Upazila, 450 hectares in Sadullapur Upazila, 300 hectares in Palashbari Upazila, 1050 hectares in Gobindaganj Upazila, 2425 hectares in Sundarganj Upazila, 1900 hectares in Saghata Upazila and 3104 hectares in Fuchhari Upazila.

Over 4000 hectares of land have been cultivated in the district till April 20 and the rest would be cultivated within very short time, said an official of DAE.

The department has also taken necessary measures for easy availability of jute seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and other agri‐inputs at fair prices to make the programme a grand success.

Talking to the BSS, deputy director of DAE Mir Abdur Razzak said the farmers of the district are showing their keen interest in cultivating jute this year as they got high price of the crop in the last season.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

April 24, 2012

Globally, the financial crisis has halved the economic growth potential. Many investment plans, talents and ideas are not being utilised because of uncertainty, sluggish demand and a lack of funding. The impact on real economic activity could be more pronounced everywhere because small and medium enterprises (SMEs), being today's engine of growth, rely more on bank loans than their counterparts in some other economies. It is, therefore, crucial that banks resume their normal role of providing liquidity and supporting investment in the real economy, and Bangladesh is no exception.

SME financing is the funding of small and medium sized enterprises, and represents a major function of the general business finance market and is truly the device of success that will continue to contribute to the country's economy at large. Considering the slogan of Small Industries and Development Bank of India (SIDBI) -- Good things in life begin small – we reciprocate as we notice that the wind of change has commenced in the finance sector and general and banking in particular. Such a panorama suggests that now is the time of cooperation rather than a competition; now it is a time of convergence rather than cutting each other's neck over customers and markets; now it is a time of consolidation for attaining a sustainable growth to ensure a healthy and acceptable economy.

In recent times, Bangladesh Bank under the leadership of Dr Atiur Rahman continues to play a proactive role in providing necessary refinancing or seed money under its SME financing and Equity and Entrepreneurship Fund initiatives. Governor Dr Rahman said: "Institutions like the SME Foundation and banks can play a major role in minimising disincentives and promoting entrepreneurship in the country by ensuring adequate finance and maintaining basic discipline." We believe such assurance will increase the cause and appoint uninterrupted growth in the economic sector at large. It is pertinent to mention that Bangladesh has achieved landmark results in the domain of SME financing and fulfilling their credit requirements time to time in various forms such as long-term project finance, working capital finance, etc by encouraging and directing financial institutions so far. However, considering the level of requirement for credit facilities of the SMEs, the financial institutions need to work out a unique and innovative model of financing to this vital sector (SME) of Bangladesh economy and that is “stretch and reach beyond urban areas”.

In today's changing world, SME financing/credit is the major growth driver for the banking industry. The scene has changed since the adoption of Basel II and the applicable risk grading methods. Simultaneous need for rating SME portfolios have emerged alongside to determine and monitor risk in the same.

Recently, BB Governor Dr Atiur Rahman laid emphasis on expediting investment in agriculture and SMEs to turn the country self-reliant and self-sufficient. According to him, “Commercial banks have been playing a tremendous role in this regard through the timely guidelines from the BB.”

The role of the BB in the format of SME financing has been overwhelming, as the central bank continues to motivate/advise all financial institutions to expedite SME sector disbursement and uphold the tempo of continuous growth. In this regard, the BB in letters issued to divisional, regional and branch managers of all commercial banks said that the monitoring system would be enhanced for selecting the real SME entrepreneurs by the field-level officials of the banks for SME credit facilities.

The regional managers have also been instructed to properly follow the loan disbursement rules and regulations for agro-processing industries and women entrepreneurs under the BB's revolving scheme.

SME entrepreneurs can take credit support at 10 percent interest under the BB refinance schemes, the BB letter said.

To commensurate with the model and initiatives of the BB, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) continues to extend its support to expand the country's economically vital non-urban SME sector. In addition, JICA along the BB memo rates the financing in full swing under the discipline of BB lending rules as per sources prioritising the sector of SME in Bangladesh.

The contribution of the SME sector to employment generation is next only to agriculture. The SMEs account high in internal trading, service and in the manufacturing sector nowadays. Development of the SME sector has the potential for achieving a lot which surely will define the country's economical diagram in the very near future. However, SMEs have always faced severe constraints and the challenging global economic landscape has made matters worse. By all accounts, financing is the most serious problem for the growth of SMEs in Bangladesh.

The prospects of financing and the applied models of banks and non-bank financial institutions under the supervision of the BB have improved miraculously in recent days. However, improving access to finance for enterprises, especially SMEs, needs further monitoring and strategic planning. Introduction of more banks and steep competition hence shall determine sustainability of all including the fundamentals of economy at large. In this regard, it shall become imperative for all participants to ensure monitoring of new and existing SME portfolios to grow and diversify, and identify thrust sectors based on demography and ensure periodic health checks to guarantee timely recovery and thus motivate financial institutions to participate more and more.

The role of the BB requires fortifications of enhanced guidelines to ensure quality and quantity based lending. The rating phenomena should include small by the side of medium to ensure a minimal risk on the financiers. A system based online matrix to be introduced to assure sectorbased lending growth, which eventually shall define and measure data. By virtue of that, financiers may be guided along precisely and meticulously to achieve certain stipulated numbers as may be suggested by the central bank.

Our vision, belief, future and sustainability shall then become reality and Bangladesh will overcome all financial problems inherited from the past and shall continue to prosper to a favorable economic climate which will ensure a reduced inflation, higher GDP growth and sustainable development at large.

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh

April 24, 2012

The thirteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was formally inaugurated on April 21 in Doha, Qatar amidst great fanfare in the presence of important heads of states, trade ministers from almost all 194 member countries, trade and economic researchers, civil society groups of all hues and indeed the media. The Bangladesh delegation to the conference is being led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The conference, a regular event, held every four years is particularly designed to address the entire gamut of global trade and economic issues, in particular, the mounting asymmetries between the developed and the developing world. This year's conference is being recognised by concerned quarters as a crucial one keeping in view the persistent economic downturn, growing trade deficit of the developing countries, market access problems of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and a looming uncertainty whether the poorer economies would be able to tide over the crisis. The emerging development challenges and their implications for trade and development, the interrelated issues in the areas of finance, technology, investment and sustainable development are also to feature prominently in the mega conference. Besides, strengthening all forms of cooperation and partnerships for trade and development, including North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation has been included in the conference agenda.

Some of the agenda items are specifically designed to address LDC issues that may be of great interest to Bangladesh. These include, among others, identifying the missing link between trade and poverty reduction to be deliberated on by trade ministers and senior policy makers of developing and least developed countries towards designing and implementing policies for sustainable and inclusive development. Another issue-- in fact a baby of the UNCTAD but forgotten for quite sometime-- the Genaralised System of Trade Preference (GSTP) meant for preferential treatment of LDCs' exports to the developing countries deserves particular mention. An important agenda item concerning the issue of graduation of the LDCs' status, the challenges associated with it and actions required to be taken by both the development partners and the LDCs to ensure a smooth transition will also be of interest to Bangladesh.

To focus the LDC issues more pointedly, a ministerial meeting for least developed countries has been organised prior to the opening of the main conference. It could be learnt that the LDC trade ministers discussed at length the policy issues with special focus on trade and development and the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action for LDCs for the decade 2001-2020, which was adopted at the fourth United Nations Conference on LDCs (UNLDC-IV) in May 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

April 23, 2012

SHIMLA: The green fee proposed by the Municipal Corporation of Shimla to augment its income and with a view to decongest vehicular traffic which was to be levied on vehicles entering Shimla bearing registration number other than that of HP from April 1, is now is likely to be implemented from first week of May.

Speaking about the holdup in the implementation of the green fee, Mayor Madhu Sood said, " We had earlier floated tenders in February-March with a view to outsource the collection process of the proposed green fee at four barriers, including Dhalli, Tara Devi, Tutu and Mehli; however we received no bids for the tenders.

Fresh bids have been invited this time with simplified conditions and we are hopeful of getting in bidders this time and this would be soon implemented, probably in May."

An income of Rs six crore is expected annually from the green fee depending upon the inflow of tourists. This proposed entry to the city fee would be a onetime levy on all two -wheelers, cars, SUVs, and buses other big vehicles including trucks that do not bear registration number of HP. The fee to be levied according to vehicle type is proposed as Rs 100 for two-wheelers, Rs 200 for cars, Rs 300 for SUVs and Rs 500 for buses, trucks and other big vehicles entering the city.

This proposal is on the pattern of one which is being implemented in Manali by the tourism development council.

According to the mayor, the income generated from the green fee would be utilized for infrastructural development of the township, as well better facilities and more parking spaces besides promoting awareness among tourists. Amongst the various mooted promotional aspects awareness will be also spread among tourists on the ban on the use of plastic products here and jute and paper bags will be provided to tourists on entry in the city to help keep it clean.

Source: The Times of INdia, India

April 22, 2012

Negative growth in export earning from Jute and jute goods has persisted in July-March period of current financial year and the reason is attributed to sluggish demand due to economic meltdown in Europe and political turmoil in the Middle East.

The second largest export earning jute sector which touched $1.0 billion milestone in the last fiscal year witnessed the fall both in targets of volume of export and earning during the current fiscal year.

During the July-March period, jute and jute goods export fell by 26.33 percent from the target and 12.49 percent compared to the same period of last year, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

Export earning stood at $710.57 million in the first nine months of current fiscal against $811.98 million during the corresponding period of 2010-11 fiscal. The earnings also fell short of $253.91 million from the target set for the period.

Raw jute, jute yarn and twine and sacks and bags export fell by 40.56, 17.64 and 23.65 percent respectively from the target set for the first nine months of 2011-12 fiscal.

But jute sacks and bags export grew by 7.82 percent in July-March period of this fiscal compared to the earnings of the corresponding period of last fiscal, EPB data showed.

"The demand and price of raw jute compared to last fiscal decreased in the overseas markets due to the ongoing recession," Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Association (BJA), Mahfuzul Haque told the FE.

"We are facing troubled times in almost all export destinations. Export earnings both in terms of value and volume have declined in recent times," Abdul Barik Khan, Secretary of Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) said.

Ongoing economic sanction on Iran and Syria also hurt jute exports in those countries, he added.

Uncertainty over demand for jute prevails in the global market. Buyers, who had earlier placed orders for six months, have reduced their purchase volume to meet short term demand, he added.

Though the demand is increasing in recent times, we failed to supply the required products due to load shedding, he said.

Jute goods manufacturers and exporters demanded implementation of the packaging law is essential to boost domestic consumption and protect the sector.

If we can ensure packaging of food grains by jute bags alone, domestic demand would increase manifold, they said.

Of the total production of yarn, 95 percent is exportable, Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association (BJSA) Muhammad Shams-uz-Zoha said.

Middle East, North African countries and Turkey import most of the Bangladesh's jute yarn to use as raw material for making carpet. But presently they have reduced jute yarn import because of their financial crisis.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

April 21, 2012

India's biggest Textile and Apparel Fair “Tex-Trends India 2012” will be held on 16-18 July 2012 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India. Tex-Trends India 2012 is an initiative by the Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India with financial assistance under the Market Access Initiative (MAI) of Ministry Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India. AEPC the largest export promotion council has been extended the task of lead agency to organize this exhibition alongwith other Textile Export Promotion Councils of India. It is a proactive effort to bring under one roof the diversity, tradition and colours that the Indian textile and handicrafts industry offer. 

The development activities of the Ministry of Textile are oriented towards making adequate quantities of raw material available to all sectors of the textile industry and augmenting the production of fabrics at reasonable prices from the organized and decentralized sectors of the industry. The Ministry also lays noticeable emphasis on the development and growth of handlooms, traditional handicrafts and craftsmanship from across the region.

Product Profile

• Womenswear, Menswear , Kidswear, Casual Wear, City Wear, High Fashion & Occasional Wear, Lingerie, Specialty Garments, Sportswear, Knitwear, Fashion & Accessories

• Home Furnishings and Made-ups Bed Linen, Napkins, Cushion covers, Floor Mats, Curtains & Embellishments.

• Fabrics & Garments, Synthetic & Rayon Fabrics, Handmade Fibers & Blends thereof, Cotton Fabrics, Woolen Fabrics, Yarn & Made-ups

• Textile Based Handicrafts

• Fashion Jewellery and Accessories

• Handmade Silk, Art Silk & Silk Sarees

• Drill, Crapes, Satin, Twill, Sarees & Handkerchiefs

• Blankets, Shawls, Stoles & Made-ups

• Handloom clothing, Handloom Bed Covers/Spreads & Handloom Curtains

• Decorative Gift items, candles, Incense Sticks & Home Accessories, Cane & Bamboo Handicrafts

• Carpets, Durries & Rugs

• Jute Specialities, Packaging Materials, floor Coverings, Shopping & Carry bag

Source: www.textrendsindiafair.com

April 17, 2012

CHANDIGARH: Amritsar is poised to get its pre-partition eminence as a business hub of north-west India with India and Pakistan agreeing to add pharmaceuticals, cement, fabric, petrochemicals, jute and livestock to already traded 137 items allowed through land route through Wagah border.

A move also appears afoot to allow all 7,800 items traded between the two countries through the Attar-Wagah border as Indian commerce minister Anand Sharma said: "Ham chahte hain sare positive list wale items, sadak ke raste jayen (We want all positive list items should go through land route only)."

As per the research thesis of professor RS Ghuman 78 per cent of trade between India and Pakistan in 1952-1953 was through land route as against just 2 per cent now. If trade between Lahore and Indian Punjab has to take place, the land route cost in terms of time taken and transportation may be several times less than the sea route.

As then, Pakistan and Bangladesh were one, the ratio in terms of today's scenario could be 50 per cent.

The new items to be traded were added after commerce secretaries of the two countries held discussions on Saturday.

Source: The Times of INdia, India

April 16, 2012

When Anshu Mittal, a Powai resident, heard that supermarkets were going charge for plastic bags, she went and bought two large cloth bags.

Now, Mittal walks into malls, markets, and even chemists, with her own bags. “Buying several plastic bags when shopping can get expensive. This is convenient and environment-friendly.”

The civic body, in December last year, made it mandatory for shops to charge for plastic bags. “There has been a 50% decrease in the use of plastic bags since the rule was implemented last year,” said R Nandanwar, chief inspector, shops and establishments department, BMC.

After the directive, many have started making arrangements to avoid buying bags. At Big Bazaar, store managers claim that 20% of their customers bring their own bags. “Many bring jute or cloth bags. Sometimes, they carry old plastic bags from our shop,” said Vinod Sawant from Big Bazaar, Lower Parel. “We also sell a reusable jute bag for Rs. 30.”

Source: The Hindustan Times, India

April 16, 2012

Pakistan-India trade could touch $7bn

NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan have agreed to work out a roadmap for allowing a whole spectrum of items for trade through the land route (Attari-Wagah) that could expand the volume of bilateral business up to $7 billion.

The products include pharmaceuticals and related products, cement, livestock, newsprint, petrochemicals, fabric and raw jute. At present, 150-odd items are allowed to be exported to Pakistan through the land route and trucks. After the pruning of the negative list by Pakistan last month, the number of items exported by India has gone up to nearly 7,800.

Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and Pakistan Trade Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim held talks on Friday.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday, both sides agreed to take all further action to encourage greater trade through the newly inaugurated Integrated Check Post (ICP). “It was agreed upon that Pakistan would take necessary steps to remove extant restrictions on items permitted to be imported through the land route. The aim is to permit all items not in the Negative List to be traded across the land border at Attari-Wagah.

The Pakistan side has stated that through a Cabinet decision in 2009, the flow of items is linked to provision of adequate infrastructure at the check post and it would take the case to the Cabinet on the basis of the additional capacity created through the new ICP,” according to the statement. This could possibly pave way for allowing import of cement from Pakistan to India and export of pharma products, expanded list of fruits and vegetables, livestock, petrochemicals, petroleum products, raw jute and fabrics to and from Pakistan.

Source: The News International, Pakistan

April 16, 2012

The government has moved to finalise a deal with China soon to produce paper pulp from jute under joint venture at Monowar Jute Mills at Siddhirganj in Narayanganj, officials said.

A delegation from China Yunan Corporation (CYC) visited the jute mill recently and showed keen interest to run the mills. It submitted feasibility study report to the Ministry of Textiles and Jute (MoTJ).

"The Chinese team has expressed interest to produce paper pulp under joint venture. They submitted feasibility report to the MoTJ after visiting the mills. The team will visit Bangladesh again to reach a deal with the government," Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) TD Mitra told the FE Friday.

He said China is playing a leading role in producing paper pulp and quality cotton from jute.

Earlier, the Ministry expressed its interest to take over the charge of North Bengal Paper Mill at Paksey in Pabna for producing paper pulp from Jute. The mill under the control of the industries ministry is lying idle.

But there has been no significant development on the move since the ministry also expressed interest to restart the mill.

The stalemate has prompted the MoTJ to produce paper pulp at Monowar Jute Mills. The mill is now under the control of MoTJ.

The chairman of BJMC said the Monowar Jute Mills which has been lying idle since 1990s will have a capacity to produce 5,000 tons of paper pulp from jute annually and will help country to save huge foreign currency. It will also generate employment.

He said the price of per ton paper pulp is now between US $ 1,500 and $ 1,600. The country has to import about 0.1 million tons of paper every year.

Apart from re-launching the Monowar Jute Mills, the government has also a plan to establish more new mills for producing pulp from jute that will open a window of opportunities for jute producers for selling a huge quantity of raw jute to the mills.

The average annual production of jute in the country is between 6.5 to 7.0 million bales. If Monowar Jute Mills resumes production the jute growers will be able to sell raw jute there. This will help stabilise the local jute market and give value addition to the golden fiber.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

April 14, 2012

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his government's interests in joint-venture investments in energy sector, particularly in oil and gas exploration.

Erdrogan showed the interest during the official talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at his office here Thursday evening.

The two countries agreed to deepen their ties in areas of economy, trade and commerce, culture, and agriculture.

Meanwhile, Hasina yesterday said Bangladesh and Turkey will sign Free Trade Agreement (FTA) soon.

The premier said this while addressing a business meeting with TUSKON, a leading business group in Turkey, at Hotel Sheraton here.

On Thursday's official talks, Hasina and Erdogan discussed the entire range of bilateral relations, and agreed to support each other in the UN, and in regional and international forums.

Erdogan praised the achievements of the Bangladesh government in promoting education, rule of law, and democracy under the dynamic leadership of Hasina.

He hoped that Bangladesh would be a middle income country by 2015.

“We have attached special importance to our bilateral relations. We have agreed to give support to each other's candidates in multilateral institutions, including in the UN Security Council,” Hasina said at a joint press conference after the official talks.

She said that agreements signed between the two countries would further bolster bilateral relations in economic, commercial, cultural, agricultural, and other fields.

Turkey would soon join the International Jute Study Group (IJSG), the only UN organisation headquartered in Bangladesh.

During the meeting with TUSKON yesterday, Hasina said her government has initiated plans to make Bangladesh the hub of all economic activities in South Asia and South East Asian regions, encompassing China and India.

Mentioning that Bangladesh and Turkey will sign FTA soon, she said her country's export to Turkey has so far been limited to a few products like readymade garments and jute yarn.

“We can offer many more. You can import ceramic products, leather and leather products, frozen shrimp, jute goods, handicrafts, bicycle, and many other products from Bangladesh at competitive prices,” she said.

In the last few years, she said the Bangladesh government has been developing road, rail, sea, and air connectivity in the region that would connect Bangladesh to a market of over two billion people.

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh

April 14, 2012

Dependence on import of jute seeds on the rise in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's dependence on import of jute seeds is increasing gradually hampering production and quality. Seeds coming from India are worrying the farmers as the jute sowing season has already started. Farmers have sad experience of Indian seeds that yielded lower amount and quality jute than the locally improved variety of seeds.

Md Hayat Ali, a farmer at the Dighulia village under Mirzapur upazila in Tangail district produced Tossa variety of jute in his 3 bighas of land ( per bigha 54 decimal) and got only 31 maunds of fibre in 2011.

The production was nearly 50 maunds (per maund 40 kg) in 2010 by using local variety of facilitated seeds, he said talking to the FE.

He said last year we were very hopeful that the production would surpass its previous year as the plants grew well and tall, but the amount of fibre was much less.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said it has set target of 7.8 million bales (per bale 180 kg) of jute on 0.7 million hectares of land during the current year.

"The production in 2011 was a puzzle for the state run agricultural departments as visiting the healthy plants, the agricultural institutions predicted a huge production of jute, but in reality, the production failed to surpass the production of 2010 when the yield was 7.1 million bales," a high official of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) said.

Looking through the official data, it is found that the country's agricultural institutions are able to supply only 35 percent of required seeds to the farmers this year.

BADC General Manager (Seed) Md Azizul Hoque said this year the corporation has been supplying 1160 tonnes of jute seeds to the farmers.

Besides BADC, other government institutions including Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI), Directorate of Jute (DoJ), and DAE have set a target to distribute 100 tonnes, 800 tonnes, 100 tonnes respectively to the farmers. According to the BADC and DAE officials, the total demand for seeds is nearly 5800 tonnes in the country.

Non availability of local seeds is forcing the farmers to use Indian adulterated seeds which are entering through legal and illegal channels.

Bangladesh now imports nearly 4000 tonnes of jute seeds per year which cost the country more than Tk 1000 million, seed businesses concern said.

Secretary of Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) A Barik Khan said the country once exported jute seeds to the countries like India, China and Thailand as the quality of Bangladeshi jute and seeds are best in the world. Now the country has been reduced to jute seeds importing country.

The BJMA secretary said lower quality jute fibre is hampering the production of jute products.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

April 13, 2012

The state-owned Daulatpur Jute Mills, which remained closed for over nine years, reopened yesterday.

The mill has started producing jute goods on an experimental basis capitalising on 15 quintals of raw material supplied from Khalishpur Jute Mills, Crescent Jute Mills and Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills, said Project Director Engineer Md Toffazal Hossain.

A major overhaul of the jute unit began on October 29 last year. It took six months to complete. There are 250 looms in the mill.

The jute mill will go into commercial production if experimental work is found successful, said the project Director.

Established in 1953 on 23 acres of land at Khalishpur, Daulatpur Jute Mills started its commercial production from 1955 and was nationalised in 1965.

It was closed down by BNP-led four-party alliance government on December 7 in 2002 on the plea of severe financial crisis.

At least 2000 workers, 175 employees and 46 officials are now required to run the unit to reach its annual production target of over 6000 tonnes of Jute goods, Project Director Toffazal Hossain said, adding: “At present, we have only 150 workers and seven officials”.

Decision to reopen the jute mill with four others was taken at a meeting of the Board of Directors of BJMC held on September 10 in 2010.

The four other closed state-owned jute mills are People's Jute Mills of Khulna, Quami Jute Mills of Sirajganj, RR Jute Mills and MM Jute Mills of Chittagong.

Of them, People's Jute Mills reopened on March 5 in 2011 while Quami Jute Mills on April 9 the same year.

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh

April 13, 2012

The co-operative sugar industry has sought the central government's intervention with a plea to amend its notification of procurement of levy sugar out of 2011-12 sugar season to 4% from 10% so that there is no carry over sugar obligation into 2012-13 sugar season. Besides, it has made a case for factory-wise fair and remunerative price (FRP) for the season 2011-12 before the end of the first quarter of the season. The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories, which is a representative body of cooperative units in the country, in its letters to agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and food minister KV Thomas also called for the removal of compulsory sugar packaging in jute bags.

According to the Federation, the continuation of Jute Packaging Materials Act, 1987, enforcing 100% compulsory packing of sugar and grains in jute bags, is an unnecessary financial burden on sugar factories. About 60% sugar was consumed by the bulk consumers and these jute bags were not acceptable to them because sugar as traces for batching oil used for softening jute and loose fibres were found in jute bags.

Source: Business Standard, India

April 13, 2012

ANKARA - Bangladesh and Turkey today signed seven instruments to further bolster relations between the two countries in economic, cultural, agricultural, and other fields.

The nine instruments include three agreements, two memorandum of understandings (MoUs), one letter of intent and one protocol.

An agreement has been signed for Reciprocal promotion and protection of investment and one has been inked for mutual abolition of visas for the holders of diplomatic, service/official, and special passports. The third agreement is on Customs cooperation between Bangladesh and Turkey.

Of the two MoUs, one is on scientific and technical cooperation in the field of agriculture and other is in cultural, scientific and educational exchange programme.

A letter of intent has been signed between the two countries under which Turkey will join International Jute Study Group (IJSG), only UN organization in a developing country like Bangladesh.

A Sister-City twining agreement has been signed to link spiritual capitals of Konya in Turkey and Sylhet in Bangladesh- the resting places of two great Sufi philosophers - Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi and Hazrat Shahjalal (RA).

Industries Minister Dilip Barua signed the agreement on reciprocal promotion and protection of investment, Mayor Badruddin Ahmed Quamran signed the Sister-City twining agreement while Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni signed the other five agreements and MOUs.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan witnessed the agreement signing ceremony held after the official talks between the two Prime Ministers.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

April 12, 2012

PURNIA/SAHARSA, A hailstorm accompanied by heavy rain struck Purnia and Kosi divisions twice on Friday night. The impact of the hailstorm and rain was quite severe in Katihar district, official sources said. "It was for the first time that a hailstorm of such a magnitude hit the area," recalled Riazul Haque, a resident of Purnia. Heavy rain also lashed parts of Kosi division, the sources said. Jute growers are quite optimistic about the heavy rainfall as the sowing season is at its peak. Such a heavy rain had never been witnessed at this time of the year in the past few years, said a jute grower, Gaisuddin, of Simalbari. Rain will immensely boost jute farming, added Krishna Mohan Singh of Gopalpur in Kishanganj district.

Kishanganj district agriculture officer (DAO) Sant Lal Saha said, "The rain will help growers of pulse like moong and jute in the district." Saharsa DAO U P Mandal, however, struck a discordant note, saying rain will adversely impact the wheat crop which was already ripe for harvesting. The weatherman in Purnia said the district recorded 36 mm of rainfall. Rain swept through the district twice on Friday night. However, no casualty was reported. Source: Times of India.

Source: www.worldjute.com

April 09, 2012

VIENNA: Austria will invest 160 million euros ($213.4 million) in climate protection projects in Europe to cover the gap it faces to meet commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich said on Wednesday.

He said the money would go towards "green investment scheme" projects in other European countries. Austria needs to buy the equivalent of 32 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) to meet its carbon reduction requirements under the Kyoto accord, he said in a statement.

While the price for certificates was 15 euros per tonne a year ago, it was now around 5 euros, he added.

 "We have to act now for reasons of thrift and utility. A year ago the cost of permits for Austria was estimated at 600 million euros to even 1 billion euros. If we pay now we will save over 440 million euros. That helps the budget and the climate," he said.

A top official had said last month that Austria would buy 2‐4 million emission permits this year to help it meet its goal to cut emissions under the Kyoto Protocol, but the country could buy millions more if it revised its purchase programme.

Source: The Economics Times

April 04, 2012

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled fly to Turkey on April 9 on a four-day official visit at the invitation of her counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The visit is very important and will open up opportunities of cooperation with Turkey, which is now the sixth largest economy in Europe and sixteenth in the world.

Straddling the continents of Europe and Asia, Turkey's strategically important location has given it major influence in the region -- and control over the entrance to the Black Sea. As a large country with more than 78 million people in the midst of Eurasia's vast landmass, it may be defined as a country with multiple regional identities that cannot be reduced to one unified character.

Turkey cannot be explained geographically or culturally by associating it with one single region. It is a Middle Eastern, Balkan, Caucasian, Central Asian, Caspian, Mediterranean, Gulf, and Black Sea country. Given this picture, Turkey has made itself into a nation which provides security and stability not only for itself, but also for its neighbouring regions.

Since 2002, Turkish foreign policy has been "look to the East," and its proactive foreign policy has turned Turkey into been a major player in the region.

Given the above context, the visit of the Bangladesh prime minister will help to boost bilateral cooperation, among others, in trade, investment, health, culture and connectivity. Turkey has expertise in the construction of airports, deep-sea ports, communication infrastructure, etc.

During the visit of the Bangladesh prime minister, Bangladesh reportedly may urge Turkey to construct 500 community clinics in Bangladesh, give prompt registration of Bangladeshi pharmaceutical products in Turkey, and import vaccines from Bangladesh. According to an agreement signed during the Turkish prime minister's visit to Dhaka in 2010, Ankara would fund $11.50 million to construct the community clinics.

It is reported Dhaka may also ask Ankara to:

* Provide duty-free market access to its jute and jute goods. Turkey imported jute and jute goods from Bangladesh worth $ 1.7 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year;

* Lift the safeguard duty on Bangladeshi readymade garments (RMG). This duty made Bangladesh suffer the most as it was a leading RMG exporter to Turkey and had been enjoying duty-free access as an LDC before September last year;

* Establish an international vocational training institute in Bangladesh to ensure smooth supply of skilled manpower for the garments, textiles, design and fashion industries of both the countries, maintained the officials; and

* Provide sports equipment for Bangladesh Krira Shiksha Protisthan (BKSP) and training of professional players and coaches in Turkey.

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh

April 04, 2012

Export of jute products worth $ 70 million to Iran has become uncertain amid refusal of state-run Sonali Bank Ltd (SBL) on issuing letters of credit (L/Cs) under Asian Clearing Union (ACU) account.

Exporters will face substantial financial losses as export payment of the delivered items to Iran is hanging on, industry people claimed.

Following slapping of sanctions on Iran by the US and EU, jute product shipment deals are met through ACU account managed by the SBL, Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association (BJSA) Chairman Muhammad Shams-uz Zoha said.

Mr Zoha informed that the ACU was established at the initiative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in December 1974 that includes eight South Asian nations and Iran. Mr Zoha said his association exports 45,000 to 50,000 tonnes of jute yarn worth $ 60 million per year to Iran, with which the country makes world famous 'Persian Carpet'.

He said SBL, along with other state-run scheduled banks, is neither giving approval of L/Cs nor registering new EXP forms to export jute goods or to receive payments. The industry has fallen into a severe crisis as a big amount of cash is hanging for the shipped items to Iran. A large volume of ordered items remain idle which will force the factories to incur massive losses if those cannot be sold. Mr Zoha said last year his association had sent a letter to the Bangladesh Bank governor relating to the L/C matter.

Following the letter, the BB issued a circular in August 2011 that says SBL has opened two ACU accounts, one in US dollar and another in euro and the circular also asked all authorised dealer branches of SBL to transact with Iran relating to jute and jute products exports.

"But the scheduled banks are not following the BB circular and have stopped collecting L/C since the second week of March. They didn't warn the businesses to make exports to Iran before stopping to collect L/Cs or to issue EXP forms", he claimed.

When asked, former chairman of BJSA Ahmed Hossain told that it (sanction on Iran) is an international matter and it is true that Bangladesh has a little to do with the matter. But the government should at least manage to bring the payment of delivered items to protect the industries from financial loss as well as from legal complications.

BJSA and Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) official data showed that the country exports nearly 55,000 tonnes of jute and jute products worth $ 70 million to the Islamic Republic of Iran that include 45,000 tonnes of jute yarn and 10,000 tonnes of raw jute and other jute products.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 30, 2012

“The natural fibres sector has great potential to become an engine of growth,” Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith.

Experts from 21 Commonwealth countries heard how natural fibre production is necessary in tackling poverty and preventing environmental degradation, at the Global Natural Fibre Forum (GNFF) in Africa earlier this month.

Speaking at the symposium held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, from 7 to 9 March 2012, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith said: “It is essential to advocate the shift from synthetic towards using natural fibres due to their significant role in environment protection and sustainable development.

“Looking into Africa, the majority of people live in the rural areas and are dependent on agriculture, which incidentally produces almost all natural fibres harvested in the developing world.” The Commonwealth Secretariat hosted the meeting in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of South Africa and other private sector partners. This regional gathering is the first to address challenges facing producers and processors of natural fibres, which directly supports the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide.

Natural fibres better support sustainable production and consumption and are crucial to environmental sustainability and a lighter carbon footprint. For thousands of years people all over the world have used fibres from plants and animals to make cloth, string, paper, and to strengthen building materials. But with the increasing use of synthetic fibres since the 1960’s, natural fibres farmers and small producers have lost significant market share. According to the GNFF, roughly 30 million tonnes of natural fibres are produced annually worldwide.

It brought together fibre producers, processors, researchers and scientists and industry representatives to explore possibilities of working together. Live demonstrations included fibre extraction and fibre conversion and its application to different industries such as packaging, biofuels, bio composites, construction, handicraft, foods, cosmetics, health and textiles industries. “We believe that the fibres sector has great potential to become an engine of growth and given the right support through capacity-building and product development programmes, it can drive rural industrialisation,” Mr Smith said. A number of experts made presentations at the seminar on how small producers and farmers could increase their income through natural fibres.

Chairperson of the South African Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Lulu Johnson and Chairperson of House of Hemp Dr Mamphela Ramphele addressed delegates. GNFF Regional Consultant Dr Thandeka R Kunene presented research findings on types of natural fibres, their current and potential uses and proposed intervention programmes that could help producers to increase their production of natural fibres.

Experts also highlighted the importance of creating value at each level of the production process including: farming, extraction, processing, waste use, product manufacturing, marketing and distribution.

The GNFF is a worldwide network that collects and distributes information around the use and economic value of natural fibres and how these can be used as a critical source for small and medium sized enterprises, farmers and poorrural communities to uplift their livelihoods. Participants at the March forum were drawn from: Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Experts also came from Canada, India and the United Kingdom.

Source: Commonwealth Secretariat

March 29, 2012

The authorities of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) have sought initiatives of the ministry of textiles and jute (MoTJ) to reopen three state-owned jute mills as the former has completed all preparations in this connection, officials said.

"We have sent a letter to the MoTJ recently seeking arrangement of a programme where those mills would be reopened by the Prime Minister," BJMC Chairman TD Mitra told the FE Wednesday.

If the mills - MM Jute Mills and RR Jute Mills in Chittagong and Doulatpur Jute Mills in Khulna - start operation, then it would help increase export of jute goods and also generate employment in the country.

Mr Mitra said MM Jute Mills and RR Jute Mills are now running on trial basis under the supervision of BJMC. The trial run of Doulatpur Jute Mills is also likely to start from next week.

"The mills would create an increased demand of raw jute that will ensure fair prices for jute farmers. The production target of the three mills will be about 10,000 tonnes of jute goods annually with direct employment of 3,500 people," said the BJMC chairman.

He said at present there are 21 mills run by the BJMC that produce jute bags, sacks, hessian and carpet backing cloths (CBC). The mills have been exporting jute goods to different countries.

The BJMC has set a target to increase export of jute goods by nearly 25.5 per cent during the current fiscal year (FY 2011-12) compared with that of the previous fiscal.

Bangladesh exported 0.168 million tonnes of jute goods worth Tk 9.38 billion during the FY 2010-11. The country has a target to export 0.2107 million tonnes of jute goods during the FY 2011-12, said a director of marketing of BJMC.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 29, 2012

Jute production will face a major setback due to the government's decision to suspend power supply for half a day to industries, industry insiders feared.

They said the decision to suspend power supply to industries will force the management to shorten their working-hour resulting in lower production.

The apprehension was expressed at the 33rd annual general meeting (AGM) of Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association (BJSA) in the city Wednesday.

Senior Secretary to the Ministry of Textiles and Jute Md Ashraful Moqbul was present at the AGM as the chief guest, while Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) Chairman Tulshi Das Mitra was the special guest.

Addressing the AGM, the BJSA chairman thanked the government for solving the dilemma relating to imposition of 4.0 per cent countervailing duty (CVD) on Bangladeshi jute products by India.

During his address, Senior Secretary Mr Moqbul urged the government to address electricity crisis immediately for the sake of the country's jute and other export-oriented sectors.

He assured the AGM that the matter would be placed immediately to the ministry concerned to ensure power supply aiming to keep the pace of export.

BJMC chairman Mr Tulshi Das Mitra said the decision of power cut for 12 hours a day is forcing the BJMC authorities to operate only one shift against three shifts a day in their mills.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 29, 2012

Jute price has sharply increased recently when the season is well over, and growers have no jute with them. The price benefit will go to the middlemen who have bought from the primary markets during the July-September peak season at lower prices. Poor farmers need to sell immediately after the harvest. They never get the genuine price of jute.

Recent reports from secondary markets in greater Rangpur district say quality jute is selling between Tk 2,200 and Tk 2,500 per maund, which was as low as Tk 1,200 in November-December. Scores of trucks loaded with jute have been leaving the mufassil towns for Dhaka, Khulna, Chittagong industrial belts and Benapole, Bhomra and Hilli land ports. Informed sources said price showed an upward trend with rising demand from the domestic jute and spinning mills as well as foreign buyers. Chinese ambassador in Dhaka meeting recently with Finance Minister M A Muhith expressed keen interest in buying bulk jute.

Once known as 'Golden Fibre', jute was the mainstay of our economy. Some 30 million people were directly or indirectly involved with jute. A separate ministry of jute used to overlook the industry and production. Annual jute policy was announced by the government well ahead of the sowing season projecting production of jute, consumption by the domestic industry and export of raw jute. Banks were directed to finance the traders to draw jute from the primary markets so that the farmers are not deprived of fair price. It may be recalled that the National Bank of Pakistan came into being in Dhaka with the main objective of financing jute trade and industry. Those days are gone. Jute is now subjected to sheer neglect by the government. No jute policy, no direction to growers and traders are heard these days.

But with the rising awareness of the adverse impacts of synthetic materials across the world, the glory of the golden fibre is reviving gradually. Jute products are diversified.

We had 70 plus jute mills at the time of independence, including the Asia's biggest Adamjee Jute Mills. On nationalisation, all turned sick. Some 36 of them were returned to their Bangladeshi owners by mid 1980s. But most of them failed to survive under the heavy burden of overdue bank loans and loss of foreign markets of jute goods.

It is indeed encouraging that some of the new entrepreneurs have of late set up a good number of jute and spinning mills. They purchased machinery, mainly looms, of the closed mills, adjusted with modern machines and started operation. It is pleasing to know that Bangladesh has now as many as 129 jute mills. The state-owned Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation has 18, private owners have 111 including 50 jute spinning mills. Some of them are located in greater Rangpur district where poor farmers in their sorrows had at times set their jute on fire in the absence of buyers during the dark days of the golden fire. Sources in Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) and Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association said some more factories are in the pipeline. What is needed most, they said, is the uninterrupted supply of power and gas to ensure running of the wheels.

Finding the rising demand and good price, farmers have increased jute cultivation during the last two or three years. Last year, they had cultivated jute on 0.75 million hectares. The yield was about 0.87 million bales as against about 0.45 to 0.50 million bales annually during 2003-2008. Agriculture Extension officials estimate that around 0.40 million farmers are now engaged in jute cultivation.

An annual jute policy of the government is urgently needed to protect jute growers, traders and the jute industry. The policy should be based on a study on the requirement of the world market for jute, our ability to export, requirement of the domestic jute and spinning mills. It should also direct the banking sector to finance the traders to draw jute from the primary markets so that the farmers are not deprived of a fair price in the absence of buyers. The policy-makers are required to closely monitor the production and marketing and adopt adequate measures accordingly.

An well formulated jute policy will help the growers, domestic industry, jute traders, exporters and foreign buyers as well.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 28, 2012

DHAKA: As part of government’s plan to diversify use of jute, implementation of a project is going one to prevent riverbank erosion and mudslide from hills and renovation of rural roads with jute geo textiles. Out of 10 field trials under the project adopted by the present government, two have already been completed while one is under implementation and sites have been selected for two more.

Project implementation agency Jute Diversification Promotion Centre (JDPC) Executive Director Khandakar Mokhlesur Rahman said this is an international project financed by UN Common Fund for Commodities which is executing by International Jute Study Group (IJSG).

Under the project titled ‘Development and Application of Potentially Important Jute Geo Textiles’ involves 39.62 lakh US dollars. Under the project, the construction of a rural road in Keraniganj on both sides of the river Turag has completed successfully. The reinforcement of 500-metre bank of the river Pathraj at Boda of Panchagar ended under the project in June last year. Currently, the field trial is going on to prevent landslide of Chimbuk hill at Baraitala in Bandarban under the project. Two more sites have been selected to start the field trials.  The bank of Barai River in Rajbari would be repaired and a rural road in Savar would be renovated with jute geo textiles.

Khandakar Mokhlesur Rahman said more sites would be selected within the current year to complete all of the 10 field trials by 2013. In the last year of the project in 2014, the sites where field trials would be completed kept under intensive observation. JDPC official Miah Imam Musa said use of jute geo textiles in prevention of landslide and river erosion, and renovation of rural roads is less expensive, environment friendly and more effective.

Jute geo textile is a kind of gunny sheet that gets mixed with soil after rotting and creates a kind of strength in soil that resisting landslide.

When implemented, the project will increase use of jute in the country and raise its demand in the international market. Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) sources said Latif Bawani Jute Mills under Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation and Janata Jute Mills under private ownership export 2,000 to 2500 tons of jute geo textiles to Europe, Australia and Canada annually.

Source: The Independent, Bangladesh

March 27, 2012

Samastipur: Bihar’s only Jute mill is burning for last four days. Fifty fire engines are trying to douse the fire but they are yet to succeed.

One person has died in this fire while properties worth Rupees 25 Crores have been destroyed. Two others have been seriously injured.

A major fire broke out four days ago in this jute mill based at Samastipur of Bihar. The fire is now reaching towards the machines installed in the mill and it has raised a big question mark over the future of around 5000 workers employed here.

Source: www.indiatvnews.com, India

March 27, 2012

DACCA: Inaugurating an international conference on jute here yesterday, Commerce Minister Hafizur Rahman emphasised the urgent need for the stabilisation of prices in the interest of both the sellers and the buyers.

The conference, convened by the Jute Board of Pakistan to consider measures for the stabilisation of prices, is being attended by the representatives of the Dundee Importers Association, London Jute Association, European Jute Industries Association, besides representatives of Pakistani jute interests and Government officials.

The Minister said that there was identity of interests between the buyers and the sellers in respect of price stabilisation. He told the conference that the efforts of the Government had been directed at “creating a situation” whereby the interests of both the parties could be met.

The Minister underlined the ill effects of too much fluctuation in the price-level, and said it served no interest. Just as the industries find it difficult if the prices are too high, so also the growers are affected in case it falls too low. Fluctuations, if any, should be kept at a certain level, he added.

The conference, which is expected to continue for four days, has before it a very important proposal for the establishment and running of a buffer stock. The creation of a buffer stock is one of the many — and probably the most important — measures suggested in the report of the Jute Inquiry Commissioner for preventing wide fluctuation in the price of jute.

Source: www.dawn.com, Pakistan

March 27, 2012

Polythene commonly know as poly bags were first introduced as an alternative to paper bags as these were lighter and stronger than paper bags. When it was first introduced little did we know of its harmful effect on the environment.

Poly bags, despite being banned in our country, are being widely used and indiscriminately littered. Unfortunately, most of us are unaware of its bad effects such as it clogs drains, rain water collected in discarded plastic bags become breeding grounds of mosquitoes, or when plastic bags make their way to the ocean many marine animals get entangled and killed.

You will be surprised to know that a plastic bag takes 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill, and when it decomposes, it releases toxic chemicals such as plasticizers and flame retardants. These chemicals eventually make their way into the soil and groundwater and degrade the environment. In the rainy season we witness horrible water logging, thanks to our wayward habit of throwing poly bags here and there. Poly bags put additional pressure on our already weak drainage system.

We have to simply compel the common people to discard the habit of using poly bags. The government must also make sure that poly bags are not produced and are available in the market any more. So that people start looking for alternative like jute bags which is environment-friendly and economical, as we can use it repeatedly. It will also revive the demand for our golden fibre and encourage our farmers to produce jute. It is time to raise awareness among common people and take necessary steps to stop the poly bag menace for good.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 24, 2012

DELHI: Eastern Jutex Industries is among the prominent manufacturers, suppliers and exporters of an extensive range of highly reliable jute products. The product range includes Jute Shopping Bags, Jute Fashion Bags, Jute Wine Bags, Jute Promotional Bags, Cotton Shopping Bags, Cotton Fashion Bags, Fancy Jute Slippers and more.

With the support and guidance of Mr. Sayantan Biswas, the company is able to extend its product range to suit customer’s demands and specifications. Adding more glam to their credit, the company is also available on online at www.jutebagsexporter.com where the company provides full information and the details of the various products. The profile, texture, styles, designs and also the prices are mentioned in the site for quick view.

Established in the year 2010, the company is one of the prominent manufacturers, suppliers and exporters of superior quality Jute Products. The company follows Total Quality Management (TQM) approaches that help it to satisfy the ever-changing demands of the customers present all across the Indian Subcontinent. Not only this, the company offer customized packaging, which is at par with the demands and preferences specified by valued customers.

Source: www.openpr.com, India

March 23, 2012

Frequent power outages in Khulna and Bagerhat districts are seriously hampering production in mills and factories and boro cultivation.

The victims say that hardly a day goes without load shedding of electricity at short intervals.

According to chief engineer Abul Kalam Azad of West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd. (WZPDCL), around 100 megawatt of electricity is being supplied against the requirement for 140mw in Khulna and Bagerhat districts everyday.

As a result, 33 fish processing and ice factories of these two districts have become the worst victims of severe power crisis which has also hit irrigation work in 88,000 hectares of land meant for boro cultivation.

Superintending engineer of WZPDCL Anil Chandra Halder told this correspondent yesterday that only 60mw is being supplied against the total need for 100mw in Khulna metropolitan city.

Chairman of Sonali Jute Mills in Khulna city SM Emdadul Hossain said his mill is incurring a loss of at least Tk 5 lakh a day as it has to buy fuel for generator to keep the wheels running.

Load shedding has severely hit production at my jute mill which it never experienced before, he said.

The mill that produced 18,000 metric tonnes of jute goods a month now produces less than 3,000 metric tonnes because of frequent load shedding, he added.

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh

March 22, 2012

The main items of exports under South Asian Free Trade Area Agreement (SAFTA) are Cotton Yarns, Pharmaceuticals, Leather, Chemicals, Footwear Sole, Polished Granite Slabs, Green Marbles, Raw Jute, Steel Billets, Non-Alloy Steel, Groundnut and Dry Coconut. The main items of imports under SAFTA are Metalifers Ores & Metal Scrap, Fruits and Nuts excluding Cashew Nuts, Non-Ferrous Metals, Spices, Cotton Yarn and Fabrics, Readymade Garments(woven & knit), Cement, Transport Equipments and Petroleum, Crude& Products.

The Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), Kolkata which is the pioneer official organization for collection , compilation and dissemination of India’s trade Statistics and Commercial information does not publish the State-of-origin-wise export data.

India has reduced its Sensitive List for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) from 480 items to 25 items and granted zero basic customs duty access on all the items removed vide notification no. 99/2011-Customs dated 09.11.2011. Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal are the LDCs. It has also reduced peak tariff rate to 8% for Non-Least Developed Countries (NLDCs) under SAFTA, vide notification no. 125/2011-Customs dated 30.12.2011. India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the NLDCs. Other SAFTA member countries are being urged at both the bilateral and multi-lateral levels, to progressively liberalise their trade and investment policies, so that overall trade and commerce is strengthened amongst all SAFTA members.

This information was given by Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia , Minister of State for Commerce & Industry in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India

March 21, 2012

Rajbari, Bangladesh: Hoarders are making high profits prices of jute have gone up in Rajbari recently. The jute growers could hardly make any profit as they had to sell the cash crop at low prices. Besides, most of them have to maintain their family expenditure or to meet the urgent need of cash or to pay back loans they had taken for cultivation of jute. On the other hand, hoarders are making high profits as jute prices have gone up recently in Rajbari district.

The middlemen stocked jute after purchasing at low prices from the farmers in the previous season.  Now they are earning huge money as the prices in the local markets have doubled recently and other financials problems. Khankhanapur Bazaar Association secretary, Kashinath Kundu  said that traders from different parts  of the country,  including Dhaka, Faridpur, Narayangonj,   have been coming to Rajbari district  and taking  huge  jute everyday  from local  stockiest at Khankhanapur Jute Market, Bahorpur, Kalukhakhali, Narua Bazaar, Mrigibazaar,  Baliakandi , Pangsha and Machpara.

Only three to four months ago, jute was sold at Tk 450 to 500 per 40 kg, medium quality at Tk 800 to 900 and fine quality at Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,100, said small farmers and small traders.  But the price has now respectively jumped to Tk 1,000 to Tk 1200, Tk 1,700 to 1,800, and Tk 2,000 to 2,100 for three categories of jute.

The Department of Agriculture Extension in Rajbari district informed that after harvesting the farmers had to sell jute at low prices to payback the loans and to run their families.
After three to four months the cash crops are selling at high prices but the profit goes to the pockets of middle-men.

We, the farmers always deprived of fair prices of our products said a smallfarmers, Abdul Karim of Khankhakhanapur under Rajbari Sadar upazila of the district. Another farmer,   Alim Uddin Mollah,   at Sajankanda areas in Sadar upazila of the district added ‘I cultivated jute on three bighas of land and got 10 maunds of jute.   I spent Tk 10,000 for the purpose but had to sell for Tk 12,000 a couple of months ago.

“The price of jute  has increased,  we do not  have  any stock as the middle men purchased  all jute  from us  at low prices and now  they are  getting benefit  for the price hike”, Abdus Shaheed,  a farmer   of Barabhabanipur village under Rajbari Sadar upazila,  said.

Abdul Matin Mandal, Asad Ali Biswas, Ahok Dash  all the jute stockiest,  at Rajbari bazaar  said that they had purchased  huge quantity of  jute  from the growers five months ago. The prices were Tk 2,500 per bale for low quality, Tk 4,000 for medium quality and Tk 4,500 for fine quality of jute. They stocked all the jute in go-down as market was not favourable.  Now the price of jute has increased and we have been making profit.

President of Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Rajbari district, Zakir Hossain, said that the middlemen are getting benefit from jute selling in current season, all though the farmers and growers were deprived.

Every day 80 to 85 trucks of jute are being loaded and leaves Rajbari district for Dhaka , Khulna and others parts of the country .If the farmers do not get fair prices during the harvesting period, they lose interest  to cultivate  the cash  crop said Agriculture crop officer. Khet Mujur Samity secretary, Abdus Satter, said the government should take proper policy to increase farmers stocking capacity to ensure the fair price of their products.

Source: The Independent, Bangladesh

March 21, 2012

The 11th SAARC Trade Fair and Tourism Mart 2012 will kick off March 30 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka with the objective of developing new avenues for business and tourism services in the SAARC countries.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the month-long fair March 30 when Commerce Minister Ghulam Mohammed Quader and Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Faruk Khan will attend the inaugural ceremony.

"The main focus of this event is on providing business information services to importers and exporters for making use of trade opportunities in south Asia," said Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) vice chairman Shubhashish Bose. He added, "Most importers and exporters in the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) region insufficiently utilise their market opportunities as they do not have adequate access to information on market developments, prices, exportable and other economic potentials."

He said this at a website launching ceremony of 11th SAARC Trade Fair and Tourism Mart 2012 at a city hotel on Tuesday. Commerce Minister Ghulam Mohammed Quader formally launched the website. Ghulam Quader said, "This is for the second time we are going to organise the SAARC trade fair in our country. We are hopeful that lot of views and ideas will be shared in the fair."

He said the SAARC observer countries - USA, European Union, Iran, South Korea, Mauritius, Myanmar, Australia, Japan, China and Turkey will take part in the fair.

In reply to a question Ghulam Quader said potential exportable goods like jute, handicraft, processed food and other items will be exhibited in the fair.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 21, 2012

The workers of the state-owned jute mills have withdrawn their three-day strike as the authorities have met all their demands, said the leaders. "The authorities have accepted our demands; so we have called off the scheduled agitation programme," Mohammad Israfil, CBA (Collective Bargaining Agent) Joint Secretary at Latif Bawany Jute Mills Ltd told the FE Monday.

He said the government has acknowledged our demands including implementation of wage commission award from 2009 and increase in the allocation of life insurance. Earlier, the workers of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) announced a 72-hour strike which was to be observed from today (Tuesday) over the implementation of their demands.

The workers also observed a 48-hour strike on 28 and 29 February in protest against the government's dilly-dallying tactics in execution of the wage structure. Following the agitation the jute mills will suffer production losses of nearly 700 tonnes of jute goods a day.

The workers' demands include implementation of wages from 2009 and an increase in the ceiling of life insurance coverage from Tk 50,000 to Tk 108,000. But the government wanted to implement the wage commission award from the middle of 2010, according to the workers.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 20, 2012

According to the report, in Europe the development of natural fibre composite plastic early. The auto industry as early as 2012 began using the natural fiber composite materials. All of the European car companies are already in its production car using natural fiber plastic composite materials, including public DAIMLERCHRYSLER, Volvo, audi, BMW, v, etc. Natural fiber composite materials in Europe, the development of the car industry and trend. Use of natural fibers of the three main factors for price, weight and environmental protection. At present, in Europe, each kilogram natural fiber about 0.5-0.6 euros, and glass fiber nearly 9.0 euros per kilogram. Natural fiber than with artificial fiber reinforced composite material light 10-30%.

Therefore, the natural fiber composite material can greatly reduce the weight of the car. Relative to the glass fiber composite material, to 2012, in the European car industry full of natural fibers can reduce CO2 emissions a year of 140000 tons.

Natural fiber wood plastic lumber products cost than glass fiber low, no glass fiber dust caused by the occupational disease, product size stability, splits, weathering high. Natural fiber in automobile industrial substitute glass fiber market capacity is 60000 tons/year. Germany DAIMLERCHRYSLER company with technology, economic and ecological balance as the goal, with coconut shell, flax stem and other natural fiber instead of glass fiber, and polyester and rubber compound, the production in the car, bus (early in 2012) and truck chassis outsourcing after board (underfloor encapsulation panel), Mercedes car door line (E type, 2012), the seat (C, seat cushion), with a (head restraint) (2012), its production has reached 10000 tons/year. Other depot in addition, also produce natural fiber composite pads, BeiYongTai cover, instrument panel, etc. In the German government in the 80 s, encourage and subsidies for industrial raw material of natural fibers of the planting and production. In Europe the natural fiber is mainly flax and marijuana, also have jute, sisal, etc. Local produce is given priority to, also from Africa, Asia import. Among them, the marijuana growing flax fibers than to, do not need pesticides, weeds rate is low, high output. Europe has natural fiber output is 200000 tons (2012 statistics, the world natural fiber 8.2 million tons). Long fiber can be used for the textile industry, short fibers is a very good day fiber composite materials.

At present, the European car natural fiber in about 5 ~ 10 kg/car, not seat back. Most is molded products. And two European auto production 20.12 million cars. If all adopt the natural fiber Wood Plastic Composite floor, the demand is 8 ~ 160000 tons/year. Composite material in plastic, Europe to gather third ethylene (PP), POLYESTER (POLYESTER) and polyurethane (PU) give priority to. The main processing technology is molded, have a small amount of injection. Compound wood (WPC) composite extrusion in Europe is still just beginning, authoritative experts estimate that 2012 years in the middle, about 20 of extrusion line, another 20 line is under construction. Compound wood (WPC) composite technology basic in North America. Based on the current situation, the domestic enterprise don't blindly believe that Europe is equipment manufacturer must be very experienced. Although, wood and plastic composite (WPC) composite materials in the Europe's future is very good. But the rule of small and medium-sized enterprise but very difficult on the project. Because compound wood composite (WPC) processing technology is numerous, technology develops very quickly, general processing technology and formula is confidential. Small and medium-sized enterprise with big companies had to cooperation or use permit production. From a market perspective, wood and plastic composites (WPC) composite materials have and PVC window, even wooden window the potential of the competition. European compound wood composite (WPC) and natural fiber composites current yield is nearly 30000 tons/year, and European plastic window annual capacity of 700000 tons, accounting for 37% of the total window production.

Source: zimbio

March 19, 2012

Workers of state-owned jute mills have stuck to their gun to launch the second phase of a three-day strike progamme, as the authorities are yet to come up with solutions over the implementation of wage-commission award, union leaders say.

"We're determined to observe 72-hour strike programme including road and railway blockade, starting from Tuesday," said Mohammad Israfil, joint secretary of Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) at Latif Bawany Jute Mills Ltd.

A senior officer of the BJMC said the Ministry of Textile and Jute has considered the matter seriously and already it organise meeting for solve the problem. "I hope the sector will solve issue very short time"

The BJMC earned Tk 9.38 billion from exporting jute goods in the fiscal year 2010-11. The target of export earning has been fixed this financial year at Tk 15.60 billion.

Middlemen, who stocked jute after purchasing it for low prices from farmers during the last harvesting season, are earning huge money as the prices in the local markets have doubled recently.

Growers, on the other hand, could hardly make any profit as they had to sell the crop for low prices in absence of storage facilities. Besides, most of them were in urgent need of cash to repay loans and maintain family expenses.

Traders from capital Dhaka and other parts of the country are coming to Lalmonirhat town and taking 120 to 130 truckloads of jute daily from local stockists while the growers do not have any sellable jute in their stock.

Only five months ago, low quality jute sold for Tk 450 to Tk 550 per 40 kg, medium quality for Tk 800 to Tk 900 and fine quality for Tk 1050 to Tk 1200, said farmers and traders. But the price has now jumped to Tk 1000 to Tk 1100, Tk 1700 to Tk 1800 and Tk 2000 to Tk 2200 for the three categories of jute.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension in Lalmonirhat, 3 lakh 83 thousand and 784 bales (each bale = 200 kg) of jute were produced from 6,982 hectares of land in the district.

"After harvesting, farmers had to sell jute for low prices to repay loan and run their families. Now the crop is selling for high prices but the profit goes to the pockets of stockist traders and middlemen. We the farmers are always deprived of fair prices of our produces,” said Afatbul Islam, 50, president of Ekota Farmer's Association in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat.

“I cultivated jute on 55 decimals of land and got 605 kg yield from there. I spent Tk 11,000 for the purpose but had to sell all the jute for Tk 12,100 five months ago,” said Taher Ali, 55, a farmer of Komlabari village in Aditmari upazila.

“The price of jute has jumped, when we do not have any stock of it. Middlemen purchased jute from us for low prices and now they are getting benefit of the price hike,” Kalam Shaikh of the same village said.

Sohrab Hossain, a jute stockist at Purna Bazar in the town said, "Five months ago, I purchased 500 bales of jute from the growers. The prices were Tk 2500 a bale for low quality, Tk 4000 for medium quality and Tk 4500 for fine quality jute. I stocked all the jute in my godown as the market was not favourable. Now the jute prices have doubled.”

“Traders from Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna are coming to Lalmonirhat and purchasing a bale of low quality jute at Tk 5100, medium quality at Tk 9000 and high quality jute 10,000 from us,” he said.

Saiful Islam, member of Lalmonirhat Chamber of Commerce and Industries, admitted that the middlemen are getting benefit from jute selling in this current year althou the growers were deprived. Everyday 120 to 130 trucks loaded with jute leave Lalmonirhat town for Dhaka, Khulna and other parts of the country, he said.

If the farmers do not get fair price during the harvesting period, they will lose interest to cultivate the cash crop, said Mohammad Nuruzzaman, Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila agriculture officer.

Mohon Lal Sen, secretary of Ekota Farmer's Association, said the government should take proper policy to increase farmers' stocking capacity for ensuring fair prices of their produces.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 16, 2012

CPD study examines bags' mandatory use

It is estimated that nearly 900 million jute bags will be required in the country a year for packaging of selected agricultural and non-agricultural products, once the mandatory jute bag uses Act is implemented, according to a study conducted by a local think tank. Currently, nearly 100,000 pieces of these bags are used by different government agencies including Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC).

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), the country's oldest think tank, in its recent study said the demand would be created in the country only after implementing the relevant Act. The Act styled Mandatory Uses of Jute for Packaging Products was passed by Parliament in October, 2010. But its corresponding rules and other obligations were yet to be promulgated by the government.

"Demand for jute bags will rise sharply and its market will be worth nearly Tk 70 billion," said KG Moazzem, a senior researcher of the think tank. 644 million pieces of bags will be required for rice, 234 million for pulses, cement, potato, sugar and oil seeds, according to the study.The study also said over 500,000 tonnes of raw jute would be required to produce the jute bags.Currently, the country produces over 700,000 tonnes of raw jute a year, and it is growing on an average by 3.0 per cent. "Definitely, we need to raiseour jute production to cater to the demand for jute bags," he said.

The study conducted at the fag end of last year also found that more than 30 per cent capacity of the mills, in terms of jut bag use, remained unutilised. "We may proceed phase by phase as there is no possibility of additional mills being set up right at this moment to meet a fast growing demand," he added.

Bangladesh is the largest player of jute and jute goods having comparative advantages over other nations producing the same natural fibre. The study conducted jointly with the mechanical department of BUET was based on the sample survey of 10 mills, randomly selected.

Bangladesh fetched over 1.0 billion dollars in the last year by exporting jute and jute goods.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 15, 2012

DHAKA: Pointing to the business-friendly atmosphere in Bangladesh, especially to the low labour cost, available technical know-how and conducive business policy, ambassador of Kuwait in Dhaka Ali Ahmed Aldafiri called upon the investors of Kuwait to take these opportunities through investing in potential sectors of Bangladesh. “I believe that Bangladesh has a lot of trade opportunities. Bangladeshi readymade garments, footwear and leather goods, pharmaceutical products, jute goods and ceramics have a good market in Kuwait,” the ambassador said while speaking as the chief guest of a ‘meet the press’ programme at Hotel 71 in the city on Wednesday.Kuwait-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KBCCI) organised the ‘meet the press’ to announce an upcoming three-day fair titled “Bangladesh Trade Fair 2012, Kuwait.”

The first ever three-day Kuwait expo is scheduled to begin on May 24 through 26 at Misref Hall of Kuwait International Trade Fair Centre. The organiser hoped that about 100 business firms from various sectors of Bangladesh, including manpower exports, medicine, tannery, garments, ceramic products, jute products and handicrafts, real estate firms, bank-insurance, multipurpose co-operative, science, technology and information communication and tourism industry, would take part in the expo.

The press conference was also addressed by KBCCI president Habibur Rahman Habib, KBCCI secretary general Abdul Matin Bhuiyan, vice-chairman of Export Promotion Bureau Shubahashish Bose and convenor of trade fair committee AR Kamal. Every year, many trade fairs are organised in Kuwait, Ali Ahmed Aldafiri said and called upon the Bangladeshi businessmen to take part in those fairs to strengthen bilateral trade. Both Kuwait and Bangladesh will be benefited from the three-day trade fair as well as the fair will create a bridge among the businessmen of the two countries, Aldafiri hoped. Shubahashish Bose said Bangladesh fetched a total of US$ 23 billion export earnings from different countries in last fiscal year, which is not enough for Bangladesh. “Our export basket is very narrow as we have to depend on only a few numbers of exportable goods,” Bose said. The bilateral trade is in favour of Kuwait, he said, adding, there should more goods be exported to Kuwait to reduce the trade imbalance. Bangladesh government has already discussed with Kuwait government to strengthen the bilateral economic ties, he said. “We expect full-fledge of cooperation from Kuwait in strengthening the bilateral economic ties,” he said.

In Kuwait, Bose said Bangladesh has a colossal manpower exporting market which may be promoted by this three-day fair. Habibur Rahman Habib said the main objectives of the fair are to double the Bangladesh’s exports to Kuwait and to attract the Kuwait’s investment in Bangladesh. Abdul Matin Bhuiyan said most of the garments goods made in Bangladesh were exported to Kuwait third countries.

Source: Yhe Independent, Bangladesh

March 15, 2012

A new, tailor-made carpet has just joined the cluster of priceless works of art at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta.

Commissioned to the Real Fábrica de Tapices and produced in Madrid, the carpet replaces its worn-out predecessor adorning the presbytery area of this historical monument. The St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation embarked on this €94,000 venture in 2009.

The Baroque-style carpet includes the national emblem of Malta designed by Major Adrian Strickland, a specialist in the field. The designs are shaped with a special cut that gives a higher relief to each shape, preventing blending. The carpet is made up of some 40,000 knots per square metre, following the Turkish technique.

The knots are made of Spanish Merino wool and the warp is made of natural cotton, while the weft yarns are made of jute.

Source: www.timesofmalta.com

March 8, 2012

China Bast  and Leaf Fibres Textiles Association (CBLFTA) Monday joined the International Jute Study Group (IJSG) as its associate member.

The Chinese association received the membership at a meeting held between the CBLFTA and IJSG.

CBLFTA, an organisation is authorised by the ministry of civil affairs of the People's Republic of China. The CBLFTA team is now on a three-day official visit to Bangladesh to boost up bilateral trade between the two countries.

IJSG organised the meeting at its conference room in Dhaka.

CBLFTA chairman Mr Xu Ji Xiang said, his country is keen to purchase Bangladeshi raw jute and jute yarn following the rising demand of the products in Chinese domestic market.

He urged Bangladeshi businesses to keep the price of the products reasonable.

IJSG secretary general Mr Bhupendar Singh said Chinese collaboration in the jute sector can boost the trade of the natural fibre.

He said that IJSG would provide logical help to China in growing jute business in the region.

Private Sector Consultative Board chairman Mr Rezaul Karim, China Jute Textile Industry Association vice president Chen Pingnan, IJSG finance and administrative in-charge Dr Latifa Binte Lutfar, representative of Zhejiang Golden Eagle Co.Ltd of China Mr Gilbart Watt among others were also present on the occasion.

Earlier the Chinese team met senior secretary to the textiles and jute ministry Md Ashraful Moqbul, chairman of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) Mr Tulsi Das Mitra and chairman of Bangladesh Jute Spinners Associtaion (BJSA) Muhammad Shams-uz Zoha to discuss jute trade between the two countries.

IJSG has 30 member countries worldwide including Bangladesh, India, Morocco and EU (represents 27 countries)

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 06, 2012

China is going to hugely increase its jute and jute product imports from Bangladesh over the next few years, according to China Bast and Leaf Fibres Textile Association (CBLFTA).

Mr. Xu Ji Xiang, head of the 15-member delegation of CBLFTA, which is currently on a three-day official visit to Bangladesh, hoped the Chinese import of jute and jute products from Bangladesh would double in current year compared to 2011.

During his meeting with representatives of the Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association (BJSA), Mr. Xiang, who is also the Chairman of CBLFTA, said Bangladeshi raw jute and jute yarns are of good quality and are relatively low priced.

Mr. Chen Pingnan, Vice-President of China Jute Textile Industry Association, hoped that China’s imports of jute yarns from Bangladesh would double in 2012 compared to 2011.

Last year, Bangladesh imported nearly 51,000 tons of jute yarn from Bangladesh, up 281.69 percent year-on-year.

Source: Fibre2fashion News Desk – India

March 05, 2012

The Business Facilitation Unit (BFU) held a workshop in Bangladesh intended at enhancing economic prosperity through promotion of production and ecological sustainable consumption of jute diversified products (JDP).

BFU is working under the four-year project named ‘Jute: an eco-friendly alternative for a sustainable future’. The project, being undertaken by a UK-based international development charity, Traidcraft Exchange, began in 2010.

Co-financed by the European Union and being executed in association with a non-governmental organization – TARANGO, the multi-country project is being executed across Bangladesh and West Bengal in India.

Addressing the participants, Mr. William Hanna, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Bangladesh, said enhanced consumption and incessant demand for new resources are badly affecting the environment. It is for this reason that the EU is promoting sustainable consumption and production of resources, he added.

The project would prove beneficial for no less than 500 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with the BFU, a single-stop service centre, expected to help the SMEs to access market information and cash in on the opportunities, he said.

The BFU would function as a service centre for production of JDP under the SMEs and would also provide related information and updates.

Besides, it would also offer varied services to the JDP SMEs like need-based trainings, one-to-one solutions and mentoring.

The SMEs involved in production of JDP can avail these services and other facilities at nominal rate by becoming member of the BFU.

Source: Fibre2fashion News Desk – India

March 05, 2012

The Bangladesh jute sector is yet to utilize the potentiality of export markets due to lack of proper research and promotional activities from the authority, claimed private exporters. They said great opportunities have been created for exporting jute goods to South-East Asian countries Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia and Malaysia.

As the sector has no proper policy support, they are failing to use the potentiality of those markets, said a jute goods exporter wishing anonymity.

India has grabbed nearly 80 per cent shares of those markets in absence of Bangladesh's marketing activities, he said. But now-a-days the local consumption of jute goods in India has increased and as such it cannot supply the products according to the requirements of importing countries.

It is the right time to grab those markets for exporting jute goods, said another exporter. For exploring the markets, it is necessary to form an integrated market promotion policy, combining public and private entrepreneurs, exporters said.

But Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) is operating its promotional activities individually and for this reason it cannot bring more demand of jute products from foreign markets, they said. They said if the country could properly explore those new export destinations like Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, it would be helpful in easing the impact of economic recession and political unrest.

Export of the country's jute products has been facing a tough time following turbulences in the Middle East and North Africa.

The market operators said Thailand needs about 30 million pieces of jute bags for her rice mills a year. But the country mainly imports jute bags from India at a competitive rate, as India has a free trade agreement with that country. They said Bangladesh should go for a free-trade agreement with Thailand to increase the export volume.

Thailand is one of the leading global rice exporting countries and its government has recently announced steps to remove poly or plastic materials considering their negative impact on the environment. BJMC Finance Director A.E Muhammed Ali Chowdhury contradicted the the comments of the private exporters and said the BJMC is always trying to explore new markets and the export volume of jute goods is better compared to the previous years.

The export earning increased to Tk 9.38 billion in the last fiscal year (2010-11) from Tk 4.33 million in 2008-2009, he said adding the target of export earning has been fixed for this financial year at Tk 15.60 billion. The BJMC finance director said they have entered the Thailand market while they are trying to reach other jute importing countries in South-East Asia. According to BJMC, Bangladesh exports jute and jute items to 40 countries.

The sector earned US$ 532.43 million in seven months of the current financial year (2011-12), down from US$ 624.7 million in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year, Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data showed.

The sector earned US$ 532.43 million during the period thus missing the export earning target of US$ 737.30 million.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 03, 2012

JESSORE: Jute goods worth about Tk 60 million were gutted in a devastating fire in Ahad Jute Mills Limited , an export oriented jute industry at Jhumjhumpur in Jessore. The fire originated from welding works inside the mill at noon on Friday.

Some labourers of the mill said, welding work was going on Friday as it was the holiday for the workers. The fire broke out while a spark of the welding sprinkled on a heap of jute inside the Ahad Jute Spinners. Fire spread immediately. Palas, a labourer of the mill said, "we used about two thousand fire extinguishing cylinders but the fire was uncontrollable".

Being informed fire fighters of Jessore fire service station went to the spot. Four fire units from Bagharpara, Monirampur and Jhikargachha also joined them. Assistant Director of Jessore Fire Service Station Asaduzzaman said we doused the fire at about 1.10 pm after a frantic effort. We have not yet estimated the damage, he added.

Delowar Hossain, manager of the mill said, about half of the jute stock has been gutted in the fire. The possible loss could be about Tk 60 million, he added.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh

March 03, 2012