The Jute Corporation of India Limited (JCI) celebrated its 52nd foundation day on 03 April. JCI was founded with the aim and sole purpose of serving the Jute Farmers. This year, the organisation is completing 52 glorious years in the service of the nation. JCI’s primary mandate is to provide MSP support to the Jute Farmers whenever the market price of jute falls below the MSP fixed by the Govt. of India. In the past 52 years, whenever required, JCI has, on each occasion, swung into action and prevented distress sale.
It goes to the Corporation’s credit that JCI has not limited itself to its primary mandate of conducting MSP operations alone, but has always been finding new ways of supporting the Jute Industry. With this spirit. JCI is also conducting commercial procurement of jute whenever the market price is higher than the MSP price with the aim of providing the jute industry with a steady flow of good quality jute fibre and at the same time ensuring that the farmers get a good price for their produce. This year JCI has procured approximately five (5) lac quintals of raw jute utilizing its full capacity. MSP purchase is still continuing for helping the farmers and is expected to exceed the highest purchase made in a year over a period of last 10 years or so.
With the changing times, the need to improve the quality and quantity of jute produced in our country was felt in order to provide better benefits to the farmers as well as to the jute industry. In order to make this noble cause a reality, JCI was entrusted the responsibility of executing & implementing the JUTE-ICARE project, funded by NJB. The research organisations ICAR-CRIJAF and ICAR- NINFET have also joined hands to lend their expertise for improving jute cultivation. This is done with the aim of inducing modern agronomic practices in jute farming which, not only improves the quantity and quality of the jute fibre, but also reduces cultivation cost enabling the farmer to get better returns for his/her produce. A group of Master Trainers and Block Supervisors have been pressed in to service to educate the farmers about the modern agronomic practices
The Jute-ICARE project is in its 9th phase in its ninth year. Till now approximately 3.5 lac farmers have benefited from the project. Within the project, an MoU is being signed with NRSC for introducing a Geospatial Crop Surveillance & Monitoring system to cover jute fields on Pan India basis. This endeavor would also help to accurately estimate jute production as well as productivity by using scientific methods. This would help to serve the objective of market stabilization through accurate yield estimation
Along with the vision of modernizing the jute cultivation JCI is also harboring intentions to modernize the Jute Market as a whole through usage of Block chain technology in the Raw Jute Supply Chain as well as providing an E-Auction Platform for Raw Jute Market.
JCI has taken up the cause of enhancing the usage of Jute diversified products with the aim of reducing plastic pollution and also to help develop the various SHGS, WSHGS, small entrepreneurs. cooperatives manufacturing jute diversified products by providing them market access. JCI is trying to generate enthusiasm and awareness towards the use of JDPs through advertisements in the social media and also through direct communication with the top notch institutes of the country, the CPSE sector as well as the MNCs.