Shortage of jute sacks to hurt kharif season procurement

Jute Commissioner's office is yet to update its Jute Smart portal and make it compliant with GST

Grain and sugar procurement during the kharif season is set to suffer because of insufficient jute sack supply.

The Jute Commissioner’s office is yet to update its Jute Smart portal and make it compliant with the goods and services tax (GST). According to the Jute Packaging Materials Act, 1987, 90 per cent of grain must be packed in jute sacking. For sugar, the proportion is 20 per cent.

Punjab has warned the office of the Jute Commissioner that the situation may spin out of control if urgent steps are not taken to make the jute industry GST ready. In two letters to