Bangladesh exports jute, jute goods to $1.2 bn

Bangladesh exported jute and jute goods to $ 1.2 billion in the last fiscal year while the jute sector contributes 1.4 percent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

"Jute contributes 1.4 percent to GDP and 26 percent to agriculture, which means jute contributes about eight billion to total GDP," Director General of Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI) Dr Md Abdul Awal told a workshop here, an official release said.

The BJRI organized the workshop on "Progress, obstacle and doings of jute sector" aiming to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute Md Ruhul Amin Talukdar and senior officials of BJRI, among others, were present at the workshop.

Awal called upon relevant organizations to take necessary and effective steps to boost jute and jute goods production.

He said, "Alongside commercial side, jute is an eco-friendly crop as jute absorbs 15 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releases 11 tons of oxygen during 100 days of the crop"

Family nutrition can be met by growing jute in the homestead yard, Awal added.

"One of the problems with jute is the seed problem. This problem can be eliminated if jute seeds are produced in jute land, he said adding the government is working to produce quality of seed of jute for increasing production of jute."