WELCOME TO BANGLADESH JUTE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (BJRI)

FUTURE PLAN OF BJRI

Jute is very important to the economy of Bangladesh. It is a leading cash crop and still a major source of foreign exchange. Jute provides employment to a considerable labour force; at least 30% of the population is involved in raising the crop. The government earns much revenue from the jute sector. The crop itself improves soil fertility, and its sticks are indispensable to the farmers for fuel, fencing and thatching. Jute is used to manufacture traditional products and packaging materials. The industrial products based on jute are environment friendly and have a world-wide popularity. The use of jute for paper pulp and geo-textile has improved the possibilities for extensive global use.

Nevertheless, jute in Bangladesh has started to suffer. Due to uncertain weather conditions, land scarcity, high input cost and an unfavourable jute-rice price ratio, jute is being pushed to less productive land. Low output prices and insufficient marketing support and extension services affect the jute cultivation and the export earnings.

Future research on jute should meet those challenges and hence BJRI envisions the following :

i.          i.  Development of high yielding varieties for favourable ecosystems, with short     duration, early sowing, and light or temperature tolerance. The yield should at least be 3-4 MT per hectare. Recent breakthroughs in biotechnology will be exploited. This will also help to reduce production cost. Emphasis will be given to varieties with improved fibre quality.

ii.         ii. Development of varieties for adverse environment: reasonably high yielding varieties tolerant to soil salinity, flooding depth of about 30 cm and drought and varieties for coastal and hilly areas and less fertile soil.

iii.        iii. Refinement of crop, soil, water and fertilizer management technologies. Special emphasis will be given to practices for better utilisation of marginal lands.

iv.         iv. Strengthening of participatory Jute Farming Systems Research and fine-tuning of jute cropping patterns for different agro-ecological zones and new retting technologies.

v.          v. Improvement of pest management techniques to reduce pest damage to the crops and to make jute more environment friendly and cost-effective.

vi.         vi. Strengthening of the linkage between jute agricultural research, extension and farmers as well as the linkage between jute industrial research, pilot scale entrepreneurs and the industry, in order to accelerate the dissemination of new technology.

vii.      vii. Establishment of more international links with research organisations of jute producing countries and with industrial countries. The traditional links with IJO will also be strengthened. This will help BJRI scientists to acquire knowledge and enrich their research capabilities.

viii.         viii. Development of technology for farm-level quality seed production to meet the HYV seed shortage.

ix.         ix. Development of diversified jute products and fabrication of appropriate materials for diversified products. Cost-effective new jute products are needed for the domestic and international market.

x.            x. Generation of industrial technologies like paper pulp for the jute and paper pulp industries and geo-jute for road construction.