Date:28/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/28/stories/2008122857650600.htm

Tamil Nadu

Plan to increase production of jute diversified products

Staff Reporter

A glance: Collector J. Umamaheswari taking a look at the jute diversified products on display at the buyer-seller meet and jute products exhibition in Karur.

KARUR: It has been planned to increase the production of jute diversified products to 20 per cent from the current six to eight per cent of all jute production before 2010, according to Secretary, National Centre for Jute Diversification, Kolkata, Susant Pal.

Speaking on the sidelines of the buyer-seller and jute products awareness meet for jute diversified products here Mr. Pal opined that there was a lot of scope for taking up jute diversified products venture in Karur as the town already boasted of a well established international market for textiles. “We noticed that a lot of tailors and stitching units, in essence tailoring units, were functioning in Karur for textile-related activities. That factor could be a basis for starting ventures in jute products,” he said. Women of the district could earn a lot, he added.

The Central government was focused on developing and popularizing jute products through the Jute Technology Mission. In particular, thrust was being accorded to manufacturing jute products in small units, Mr. Pal noted.

Quality control

Stressing that there should be stringent quality control mechanism in place to succeed in jute products export, Mr. Pal however underlined the need to maintain quality as that was the corner stone for success in inland business and market.

Gone were the days when jute products were restricted to particular states. Today jute diversified products were being manufactured in several states. Over two lakh people were engaged in the jute products industry that encompasses over 6,000 units. Jute raw material banks were functioning in Chennai and Coimbatore and subsidy was being extended, to production of articles, he said.

Pointing out that the manufacturing of jute diversified products did not require a high amount of skill or technology, the industry could well be a boon to the rural populace, Mr. Pal said. At the same time, the official added, the increased reluctance to use plastics could provide a leeway to the jute products to make a pitch for popularity, he said.

Increasing awareness among the people to shun plastics would augur well for jute products and would create a bigger market for the products, he said.

Collector J. Umamaheswari declared open the exhibition. Project Manager, Mahalir Thittam, S. Ayyaru, Karur Textile Forum president M. Sivakkannan, Sri Jothi Kanniga Universal Services Trust chairman S. Vivekanandan, secretary L. Pannarasu, Officer-in-charge Jute Services Centre M. Ramasamy and others spoke.

Products such as jute mats, jute blended with cotton, banana and sisal fibre, products with aesthetic appeal and added softness were on display at the exhibition. Both handloom and power loom products went on show at the expo. Shopper bags, lady’s handbag, wedding “thamboolam” bags, executive folders, letter folders, wall hangings and window curtains from jute fabric were some of the other items that were displayed.