Bengal’s jute industry is hit by historic crisis as prices skyrocket and farmers lose hope

Bengal’s jute industry, once celebrated as the “golden fibre” industry, is now facing one of its worst crises in decades. Raw jute prices have risen to more than Rs 9,000 a quintal—almost 60 per cent more than the government's minimum support price of Rs 5,650—raising fears of instability in mills, farmers, and the overall rural economy.

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Ritabrata Banerjee recently raised the alarm, warning that the lack of a coherent buffer and procurement policy has left the industry vulnerable to sudden shocks.

“The jute value chain is crumbling due to policy inaction. The House must act, or Bengal will lose an industry which provides jobs for millions,” he urged, demanding immediate attention from the Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development.

‘The crisis is multifaceted. For the first time in recent memory, the government had no working buffer stock of raw jute.