Rajkumar Das: The Jute Corporation of India Eamited (ICT) ia celebrating ita $2" foundation day on 03 Apr 2023, ICT was founded with the an and sole purpose of serving the Jute Farmers This year, the organisation is compteting $2 glorious yeats tn the service of the natlon JCUs pooury mandate fn to provide MSP support to the Jute Parmers whenever the market price of jute falls below the MSP fixed by the Govt. of India. In the past $2 years, whenever required, ICT hag, on cach ovcasion, awung into uction and prevented distress sale,
Th goes tv the Corporation's credit that JCT has not lintited itself to its primary mandate of conducting MSP operations alone, but has always been finding new ways of supporting the Jute Industry With this spirit JCL is also conducting commercial procurement of jute whenever the market price is higher than the MSP price with the aim of providing the jute industry with o steady flow of good quality jute fibre and at the same time ensuring that the farmers get a good price for their produce. This year JCI has procured approaimately five (§) lnc quintals of raw jute utilizing its full cupacity, MSP purchase ts stil continuing for helping the fm mers and is expected to exceed the highest purchase made in a year over a period of last 10 years or so.
With the changing times, the need to improve the quality and quantity of jute produced in our country was felt in arder to provide better benefils to the farmers as well as to the jute industry. In order to make this noble cause a reality, JCI was entrusted the responsibility of executing/implementing the JUTE — ICARE project, funded by NJB. The research organisations - ICAR-CRIUAF and ICARNINFLT have also joined hands to lend their expertise for improving jute cultivation, The project inter-aha, includes:
(a) Distribution of new varictics of Certified Jute Seeds recommended by ICAR-CRUAI at a subsidised rate. Quantity of Cettified Jute Sceds distributed till the &® phase is 2800MT(approvimately)
(b) Distribution of farming equipment such as multirow seed drill, jute seeder, nuils weeder & cycle weeder. Number of farming equipment distributed till the 8" phase is 10700 units.
(c) Distribution of Retting Accelerators such as CRITAT SONA & NINFET SATHI powders free of cost. Quantily of Retting Accelerators disttibuted till the 8" phase is 3600 MT (approximately)
(d) Demonstration of scientific agronomic practices
This ss done with the aim of inducing modem agronomic practices in jute farming which, not only improves the quantity and quality of the jute fibre, but also reduces cultivation cost enabling the farmer to get better retums for his/her produce. A group of Master Trainers and Block Supervisors have been pressed in to service to educate the farmers about the modern agronomic practices.
The Jute-ICARE project is in its 9* phase in its ninth year. Till now approximately 3.5 lac farmers have benefited from the project. Within the project, an MoU is being signed with NRSC for mtroducing a Geospatial Crop Surveillance & Monitoring system to cover jute fields on Pan India basis. This endeavor would also help to accurately estimate jute production as well as productivity by using scientific methods. This would help to serve the objective of market stabilization through accurate yield estimation.
Along with the vision of modernizing the jute cultivation JCI is also harboring intentions to modernize the Jute Market as a whole through usage of Block chain technology in the Raw Jute Supply Chain as well as providing an E-Auction Platform for Raw Jute Market.
Ina world where the global community is looking towards a plastic free environment, jute provides an attractive, environment-friendly alternative. The era of jute diversified products is being ushered in. SCI has taken up the cause of enhancing the usage of Jute diversified products with the aim of reducing plastic pollution and also to help develop the various SHGS, WSHGS, small entrepreneurs, cooperatives manufacturing jute diversified products by providing them market access. JCI is trying to generate enthusiasm and awareness towards the use of JDPs through advertisements in the social media and also through direct communication with the top notch institutes of the country, the CPSE sector as well as the MNCs.
JC} is all poised to continue its relentless efforts to serve the jute farming community and confident of making positive contribution towards the growth of our great nation.
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