With consumers worldwide opting for eco-friendly products, National Jute Board (NJB) is making fresh efforts to link jute entrepreneurs across Bengal to the international market, facilitating the export of jute products.
Speaking of this, T Ayyappan, NJB’s Kolkata head-marketing, said fancy jute bags, dolls, handicrafts, wall hangings, footwear, floor coverings and textiles from Bengal had a demand in the global market.
These products were mainly manufactured in different villages of Murshidabad, Midnapore, Burdwan, 24 Parganas and Malda.
Sarmistha Datta, director (finance), NJB, said revenue from the export of jute goods had jumped to Rs 3,506 crore during 2022-23 from Rs 2,423 crore in 2019-20. Major export destinations of jute products were US, UK, Australia, Germany and Saudi Arabia, she said.
To maintain the quality of jute products for export, the board has already taken a slew of schemes and other measures like production-linked incentives, jute retail outlets, market development and promotion scheme. “We are also focusing on putting the Jute Mark India logo that assures the authenticity of jute products. In India, 89 jute units are registered under Jute Mark India and of them, 61 units are in Bengal,” Ayyappan said.
NJB is organising an eight-day jute fair at New Town to help entrepreneurs explore opportunities in both B2B and B2C channels. The fair that was inaugurated by Ajay Kumar Jolly, MD of The Jute Corporation of India on Saturday, would go on till March 24.