Govt. raises minimum support price for jute

Govt. raises minimum support price for jute

Subject: Economy

Section: Agriculture

Concept:

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Tuesday approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw jute for the 2022-2023 season.

• MSP is the minimum price paid to the farmer for procuring food crops.
• It offers an assurance to farmers that their realisation for the agricultural produce will not fall below the stated price.
• The government uses the MSP as a market intervention tool to incentivise production of a specific food crop which is in short supply.
• It also protects farmers from any sharp fall in the market price of a commodity.
• MSPs are usually announced at the beginning of the sowing season and this helps farmers make informed decisions on the crops they must plant.
• MSP is computed on the basis of the recommendations made by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• It considers factors such as the cost of production, change in input prices, market price trends, demand and supply, and a reasonable margin for farmers.

Geographical conditions for Jute:

Jute is a kharif crop. It is sown in March-April on lowlands and in May-June on uplands. The geographical and climatic conditions for jute cultivation is given below:

Temperature and Humidity: Jute need a hot and humid climate. Monthly average temperature to the extent of 26 degree Celsius is ideal for growth. The optimum temperature- 34 degree Celsiusand  Average humidity of 80% to 90% is necessary.

Rainfall: Jute requires sufficient rainfall well distributed over the period of growth. The pre-monsoon fall though low (varying from 25 centimeter to 55 centimeter) is necessary as it promotes the growth of the plant until it gets heavy rainwater. An annual average rainfall exceeding 150 centimeter is ideal for Jute cultivation.

Soils: Jute needs new alluvial soils. In absence of new alluvial soils, application of chemical fertilizer is needed. Jute is also grown in clayey soils, but the fibers become sticky. Sandy soils produce coarse fiber.

Water bodies: Water for soaking of plants and washing the striped fiber is needed.

Labor: A large supply of cheap labor is needed.

HYV: In order to increase the yield of Jute fibers, improved seeds such as JRC-212, JRC-7447, JRO-632, JRO-7835, etc. are used.

Producing States: In order of importance, the Jute producing states are West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Maharashtra.