Jute Minister ASM Harun Ui Shah yesterday stressed extei 1-sive research for evotvin g modern technology for sub -talnable and quality Jute cult! • vaUon as market of the fibre is squeezing globally, reports UNB

Opening a day long discussion on the newly developed Jute Seeder and Weeder machines at the Bangladesh Jute Reqgarch Institute (BJR1) auditorium in the city, the minister said linkage and coordination between research and extension at growers" level are of vital importance in this regard.

Terming Jute as life-blood of national economy, he said more than 4 million peasant families are engaged in Jute cultivation and thousands of workers employed in the Jute industry Although Jute has been losing its ground over the past 2 3 decades, still the commodity continues to contribute substantially to GDP.

While the multinationals have worked fast to produce a wide range of synthetic materials and captured a significant portion of the world Jute market. the Jute industry has trailed far behind for various reasons, including lack of Initiative. Innovation, technology generations, support and investment. he observed.

In the domestic agriculture sector, noted the minister. Jute is facing severe coinpetition from more remunerative crops, specially the food crops. "In such a scenario, we have no other alternative than to look for avenues for bulk utilisation of Jute In the developing world, including our own country."

International Jute (Organisation (IJO) contribu-t loris in the fields of regional collaborative R&D programmes. collection and distribution of Jute germplasm, te c hnlcal manpower develop-

ment. RAD infrastructural development and dissemination of scientific knowied ge and information have boen commendable. he observed.

The minister said the seeder and weeder machines developed under an i'JO project had proved effective in reducing per hectare need requirements and production coSt. It is also imports int that these machines can effectively be used for other crops as weD. such as rice, wheat, oil seed and pulses, with minor adjustments.

He hoped that Jute researches will be able to work out appropriate strategy and programmes to extend rhese usefill machines to the far mers on a wider scale.

Executive Director of IJ'O K M Rabbani and Jute Secretary Mohammad Abu Hena aJso spoke at the opening sessiion of the discussion meeting, organised by the IJO. Dr M

Zahldul Hoque. Dr Anwar Alam. M Abdullah and Tofazzei Hossain spoke at the technical sessions which were presided over by Dr M Ayubur Rahman and K M Rabbani.

Later, the minister, along with high officials, visited the demonstration site of the seeder and weeder machines at BJRI premises The seeder and the weeder machines cost Tk 2.500 and Tk 250 respec tively.

Stressing the need for di versifying the uses of Jute. K M Rabbani said three major new uses of Jute are geo-textiles, paper pulp and oven and non oven composites for rigid and semi-rigid packaging.

Through the IJO germplasm project, about 2600 germplasm accessions on Jute and allied fibres have been collected, conserved at the centralised germplasm repository at BJRI and dis tributed among the producing

member countries, he told the meeting

Rabbani said with the acquisition of the germplasm materials the genetic base for these crops had been broadened in the producing countries which is greatly helping the national Jute and kenaf breeders jn their efforts to develop new improved varieties.

Under an IJO project, a four-field worthy seeder and a versatile weeder machine were developed in various brands suitable for respective countries. They are: IJO-BAR] 4-row seeder (Bangladesh). JARI 4-row seeder (India). IJO-Thal power tiller operated planter (Thailand), and IJO-Nepal 5-row bullock drawn seed drill (Nepal) A hand-operated single-row weeder originally developed by India was modified and adopted by the project for use in all the four project participating countries