Snapshot

Traditionally the jute trade in India has been controlled by middlemen, with a large difference between what the mills pay and what the farmers receive. The jute industry suffers from wide fluctuations in price and supply due to rapid changes in the area cultivated and to the effects of the weather. High prices one year may lead to over-planting and a glut the next year. Both the growers and the mills that use the crop suffer from these fluctuations. International users have shifted to synthetic fibers in part due to the uncertain supply and in part to high export duties imposed by the Indian government. The government has had to take over the operations of mills that could not compete in this difficult market. The JCI was established in an attempt to stabilize prices, create a buffer stock for the mills and ensure that farmers received a fair return.

ADD: 15 N, 7th Floor, Nelli Sengupta Sarani, New Market, Kolkata - 700087

Web: www.jci.gov.in