H. S. Sen

1. Quality Improvement in Jute and Kenaf Fibre H. S. Sen Former Director Central Research Institute for Jute & Allied Fibres (ICAR/DARE, Government of India), Barrackpore, North 24 Parganas West Bengal, India, Pin: 700 120 (Email: hssen2000@hotmail.com, hssen@dataone.in)

2. Commensurate with the expected rise in production of jute and kenaf by 3-4 times in 2050 of the present value there is a clear need for proportionately higher attention to non-traditional diversified products. It is prudent that for jute industry to survive and possibly flourish with a much brighter future it should take recourse to this non-traditional group of products which will require generally the improved quality fibres. The manufacture of diversified jute products requires the use of best grades of raw jute in most cases, more capital investment, higher textile levels of design and market skill, more capable and focused mill management, a degree of entrepreneurship above and beyond that usually found in the traditional industry, and on the top of that, considerable R&D expenditure. The real future, however, lies in the area of technical textiles.

3. Textile products Finest yarn, fashion products Fine yarn, home textile clothing Filters, high-tech composites Coarse yarn, carpet ropes Added value Packaging mat. Car interiors Composites Plant pot Geo-textile, pulp and paper Mass potential Added value versus mass potential of bast fibre products Textile products usually show higher mass potential and higher added value in comparison to technical applications

4. The real apprehension in India, Bangladesh and elsewhere is that instead of meeting the need for improved quality fibres needed for diversified applications there is possibly a decline in the trend reported. We need to examine this very critically for the very survival of commodity and its stakeholders: • If true, the nature and reasons behind it • Strength and weakness for development of improved quality fibres • Measures to alleviate the constraints and future suggestions for improvement

5. Grade-wise break up percentage of jute fibre in India No clear cut trend in the change in quality throughout last 25 years was observed. However, that there was no consistent improvement in percent quality fibre production is as such highly discouraging in view of growing demand for quality fibre production. Such quantitative observations from Bangladesh and other countries are also warranted

6. Through Through Through Technological upgradations are required for meeting the prescribed limits with consistency in quality also. Technical processing Genetic manipulation Cultural along with retting practices

7. Somatic hybridization including protoplast manipulation Inter-specific hybridization Biotechnological approaches Genetic transformation Tissue culture DNA fingerprinting Areas identified in the field of improved quality raw fibre production Cultivated Direct exploration of germplasms from centres of origin Development ofgenetic stock Wild species Principal approaches for crop improvement

8. & Development ofimproved crop varieties Development oftransgenics + Blending of cutting-edge technologies Traditional approach for crop improvement programme. • International collaboration • Need to develop jute genome Adequate funding

9. Timely availability of good quality seeds at affordable price Diplomatic and administrative protocol among the countries for timely distribution Identification of good quality seed producing areas & Certification protocol of kenaf seeds

10. Improved retting practice - Breakthrough CRIJAF has developed a new machine ‘bast fibre extractor’ run either by 1 H.P. electric motor or 1.5 H.P. Kerosene engine, portable and may easily be taken to the field for operation The retting process Whole plant Vs. machine retted fibre

11. Conventional vis-a-vis improved method of jute fibre extraction

12. Irregularity in rains Weather forecasting models Need to combat weather uncertainties Contingency plan Global warming Removal of drainage congestion at critical period Identification of appropriate variety resistant to water stress Need for water storage

13. Quality seed production and availability Need to stress on good quality fibre production in Raw fibre production module with stress on adverse soil moisture conditions Kenaf Diversified product identification and protocol for manufacture

14. The manufacture of diversified jute products requires the use of best grades of raw jute in most cases. • The improved yarns are needed to meet product • specific quality norms for the manufacture of • High quality blended apparel grade textiles, • Technical, industrial and home textiles including non-woven, • Automotives, • Soil savers, • Bio-composites, • Pulp and paper, • Fine chemicals, cosmetics and healthcare products, and • Bio-fuels.

15. Quality yarns which should be cost- and quality-competitive Convertible to light, dense and strong new generation hessian fabrics for market acceptability Future technological development Fine jute yarns with average number of fibres per cross section in the range of 50-100 and fineness6 lb/ spy and below with tolerable loss of strength and abrasion resistance along with improvement of the physico-chemical properties, such as whiteness, light fastness, flexural rigidity, water retention value, moisture regain, extensibility and proportionate increase in alpha-cellulose content along with proportionate decrease in hemi-cellulose and lignin contents in jute and kenaf preferably using recommended chemical processes

16. A tentative list of end products grade-wise (in India)

17. Need for internationalizing grading criteria Each country has now its’ own grading criteria, so there is a need to internationalize them for transparency and promotion. Suggested fibre properties for technical applications taking cue from cotton and wool, as below

18. “Better price for better grades” is the key for price protection to the farmers. • Government should devise policies and norms • Government should ensure collection mechanism through a transparent arrangement with the farmers and other stakeholders • Role of agro-retail majors are also very important in this respect Adequate arrangement for storage and distribution • Government should ensure warehouses for appropriate storage for reasonable time and support mechanisms for distribution Training of farmers and other stakeholders for fibre grading mechanism and ensure appropriate pricing • Government and the agro-retail majors have major roles in this respect In the raw jute fibre trade, agro-retail majors can be a powerful adjunct to the activities of the government procurement agencies and as well be a strong link between raw jute farmers and jute industry, and finally between farmers and R & D organizations

19. Countries other than India, Bangladesh and China Do not appear to have adequate and well planned diversification programme They should put thrust on diversification apart from the production programme of raw fibre itself adequate campaign in the society on the ecological benefit of the use of jute and kenaf arrangements for training and incentives for production of value-added goods Role of unorganized sector in large number for diversified product development They are in very large in number in each country catering to the demand of diversified goods very significantly without any record or documentation Their role, strength and weakness should be documented To be given support to increase their capability through funding, training and infrastructural development

20. The focus is to concentrate increasingly more in a phased manner for production of the value-added diversified products for inroads into the market. Goals for the Industry Meeting consumers’ perception and value Manufacturing jute products to substitute existing fibre products Defining objectively the ‘quality profile’ as product specificities Defining ‘benchmarks’ for each component of the quality profile Need for modernization with strict quality control

21. Lack of coordination between raw fibre production and technology development R&D agencies. As a result, raw fibre agency remains unaware of technological needs of the industry and vice versa, and thus the specific targets of one another.

22. Need for a Road Map for the future Each country should have a clear road map for diversified goods production phase wise for the next 20-25 years Grade wise fibre production schedules should be accordingly worked out backwards and the same implemented to meet the goals through appropriate synergy between government (policy makers), industry, R&D units, and the farmers

23. Need for a “JUTE CARTEL” Countries growing jute and kenaf are limited in number although farmers and related stakeholders are disproportionately large in number with restricted size and holding and thus the capacity of each unit. At the same time the industry is confronted with steep challenge increasingly more with time from synthetics. A “Jute Cartel” be formed for mutual benefit to each – legal, political and administrative implications of which may be discussed in details In the interest of these countries, the commodity and its stakeholders an understanding at the international level among these countries should arrived at to apportion the product target areas, as per their capabilities and interest, strength and weakness, and allow free exchange of germplasm along with arrangements for frequent interaction to share the views on technological upgradations.

24. Thanks for patient hearing