Supply shortfall restricts jute industry from meeting pulse packaging need

Deficit is about 0.55 million bales, textile ministry urges use of plastic bags instead

Faced with deficit in supplies, the jute industry is no position to meet the requirement for packaging of pulses under the Government of India's Price Stabilization Fund Scheme.

A representation was made through National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (Nafed) for procurement of pulses under this scheme.

In a letter to the department of consumer affairs, the textiles ministry's jute section explained the position of shortfall faced by the jute industry. Since the industry is saddled with a deficit of 0.55 million bales (one bale is 180 kg) under the mandatory packaging order of the Jute Packaging Materials Act (JPMA), supply of packing bags to meet the requirement of pulses is not feasible.

The textiles ministry has urged the department of consumer affairs to source alternative packaging material in the form of plastic bags to meet the requirement. To meet any requirement in the future, Nafed may be advised to provide a forecast for the period starting July 2017 to the Office of the Jute Commissioner so that the jute industry can factor in the demand for pulses packaging, the ministry suggested.

Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) has earlier clarified that the jute industry can supply 1.03 million bales till March 2017. The supply position has also been discussed with the department of food & public distribution which has been permitted to allow dilution of up to 10 per cent in the use of jute bags for food grains packaging.

In a bid to ensure that the food procurement programme and the food security is not jeopardized for want of packaging material for rabi marketing season for 2017-18, it has been decided to grant permission to use high density poly-ethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene bags to the extent of 0.32 million bales of bags for meeting the requirement.