January 6, 2019
State Govt to buy 7 crore jute bags for packing rice
The State Food and Supplies Department has decided to buy seven crore jute bags from jute farmers in Bangla. This is the latest of the State Government’s efforts towards the reviving the jute sector.
The Trinamool Congress Government has taken several steps to help revive and transform the jute sector in Bangla. Trinamool MPs have raised the issue in Parliament too multiple times, urging the Centre to make rules regarding the jute sector, which will help jute farmers in other parts of the country too.
The new order by the Food and Supplies Department mandates the Jute Corporation of India to buy 7 crore jute bags from farmers in the State. For buying rice from farmers, jute bag has been made compulsory.
The target for buying rice has been set at 52 lakh metric tonnes (MT). Of this amount, 46 lakh MT would be bought by the State Government and its agencies, while 6 lakh MT would be bought by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). In case, the DCI cannot buy that amount, the State Government would buy that amount too.
For packing 46 lakh MT, 6.35 crore jute bags are required, and 65 lakh for 6 lakh MT; therefore, 7 crore jute bags for 52 lakh MT of rice.
