Raw jute crisis: IJMA plans to meet Union textiles minister

Kolkata: Jute mills on Monday expressed hope for a resolution of the ongoing raw jute crisis following a meeting with Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh. Sources in the Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) said the minister assured the delegation that he would look into their recommendations.The meeting, held on Sunday at the Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres (CRIJAF), saw the IJMA reiterate its time-bound emergency proposal earlier submitted to the Jute Commissioner’s Office (JCO).The association sought a reduction of raw jute stock limits for traders to zero by March 31, proposing that all available stocks be compulsorily liquidated to operating mills or tendered to the Jute Corporation of India (JCI).

The delegation informed the minister that despite adequate crop estimates, 25-30 lakh bales of raw jute remain withheld with traders and intermediaries. This artificial scarcity has driven prices to an unprecedented Rs 13,000 per quintal, forcing mill closures and putting nearly one lakh workers at immediate risk.