In India, thorough research
and development done by renowned organizations, have led to the
empowering of natural qualities of jute, the golden fiber. Now, with
the help of technological support and government developmental
efforts, jute has entered into several applications creating
employment to sustainable human development, thus leading to a more
healthier and clean environment. Some of the prominent products
which are funded by Government of India, after intensive research
and development efforts done by many research institutes in product
diversification are :
- DREF spinning system
- Hydro carbon jute items used in packing food grade products
like cocoa, coffee, shelled nuts etc.
- Jute blended yarns having jute as the major component, most
appropriate for blankets, shawls, pullovers and thick dress
materials.
- Yielding of fine blended yarns using Jute/Cotton, Jute/Silk,
Jute/Wool etc. for apparel use where jute content is 30-40%.
Applications
Jute based fabrics are particularly used in furnishing, upholstery,
carpets, blankets and other home textiles areas. To replace timber,
plywood and wood, few R & D organizations have developed jute
reinforced composites in the form of flexible rigid board and semi
rigid sheets. UNDP has also promoted jute diversification by
introducing new technology, promoting employment opportunities by
boosting up new entrepreneurs to set up more manufacturing units and
improvement of indigenous machine manufacturing sector. As per the
study, some of the on going projects are :
- Jute used for paper production
- Jute and other fibers for floor covering blankets
- Jute for knitwear
- Jute based needle-punched carpets
- Development of multi-component yarn from wool
Diversification
In terms of challenge faced by more cheaper synthetic substitutes,
more effort has been made on diversification of jute products. Jute
has been widely experimented in order to enable jute based products
into the textile sector. The main thrust areas of value-added
diversified jute products comprise Jute Hand looms and Handicrafts,
Non-woven and Industrial Application, Jute Rigid Packaging,
Decorative products and Geo-Jute.
Research wings of CRIJAF ( The Central Research Institute for
Jute & Allied Fibers )
The main research wings of our national jute institute are :
- Ramie Research Station, Assam
- Sisal Research Station, Orissa
- Sunnhemp Research Station, Uttar Pradesh
- Central Seed Research Station for Jute & Allied Fibres,
West Bengal
Main Research Areas
The institute is authorized to carry out research activities in the
following fields :
- Development of jute and allied fiber crops for biotic and
abiotic stresses.
- Production of jute fibers and allied fiber crops for yield
and quality.
- For improving the quality of fiber, development of proper
post harvest technology.
- Transfer of human resource development and technology in
relation to jute and allied fiber crops.
- Development of economically feasible, sustainable production
technology and cropping systems with jute and allied fiber
crops.