In a move that will benefit jute farmers, the government on Wednesday approved the extension of mandatory packaging norms which provide for all foodgrains and 20 per cent sugar to be compulsorily packed in jute bags, sources said.

The reservation norms for mandatory use of jute in packaging for Jute Year 2022- 23 (July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023) were cleared at a meeting of the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The mandatory packaging norms approved for Jute Year 2022-23 provide for 100 per cent reservation of foodgrains and 20 per cent reservation of sugar to be compulsorily packed in jute bags, the sources said.

The approval of these norms will provide relief to 3.7 lakh workers employed in jute mills and ancillary units as well as support the livelihood of several lakh farm families, they added.

The government purchases jute sacking bags worth approximately Rs 9,000 crore every year for the packing of food grains, thereby ensuring a guaranteed market for the produce. It will also help protect the environment because jute is a natural, bio-degradable, renewable and reusable fibre that fulfils all sustainability parameters.

The jute industry is important for India’s general economy, especially the eastern region, including Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The reservation norms under the Jute Packaging Materials (JPM) Act provide for direct employment to 3.7 lakh workers and several lakh farmers in the jute sector.