World Bank Promises $250 M For Agro Tech Projects

The World Bank will extended loans amounting to $250 million (Rs 975 crore) over a period of five years to the Indian Council of Agricultural and Research (ICAR) for taking up projects under the National Agricultural Technology Programme.

This was stated by B C Mitra, director of National Institute of Research on Jute and Allied Fibre Technology at a press conference here yesterday.

About 30 research institutes will take part in the programme projects, with Mitras institute being the sole one from the eastern region.

Mitra claimed that, at present, about 25 technologies of the institute were being marketed commercially by corporate houses. However, no recognition has been given to the institute prompting it to seek patents for its technologies. Six months ago, the institute had patented two technologies including one for jute acrylic.

 

The public works department is collaborating with the research institute for using jute in road construction, the advantages of which were discussed at the press conference.

The institute has developed geo-textiles from jute non wovens. These fabrics are used in civil engineering works as soil stabilisers and in agricultural sector including horticulture and weed control.

Established in 1938, the institute is celebrating its diamond jubilee for which it is organising an international seminar on Jute and Allied Fibre: Changing Global Scenario.

The institute, along with three other institutes, will also organise its second joint jute technological conference.

The institute is wholly-funded and managed by ICAR. It has established that annually renewable eco-friendly and biodegradable crops like jute, sisal, ramie, mesta and flax banana can be upgraded and utilised to produce diversified products for both domestic and foreign markets.

The institute aims to find diversified uses of plant fibres, their agricultural by-products and industrial wastes in large scale and decentralised sectors.

We strongly hope that jute again will come to the forefront and will be preferred to other raw materials in many uses due to it being ecofriendly, biodegradable, renewable and cheap, said Mitra.