The Jute Corporation of India has been asked to purchase raw jute directly from farmers instead of middlemen, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said.
Though the JCI was supposed to buy jute from farmers, it was not doing so, Mukherjee said. He criticised the jute mill owners' inability to use up-to-date technology in producing goods that would compete favourably with the synthetic alternative in the world market.
This was despite the fact that worldwide governments were encouraging use of jute bags and other products as they were environmentally safe, the minister regretted. He also called upon jute manufacturers to improve the quality of finished goods as well as marketing strategy to compete in the world market which has gravitated towards synthetic materials for price advantage and other factors.
Mukherjee was addressing the conference of employees of the JCI at Raghunathganj near here.