Trinamool MP Ritabrata flags ‘serious crisis’ in West Bengal’s jute industry; seeks Centre’s intervention

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Banerjee has written to the Central government, asking for its intervention on the “serious crisis” in the West Bengal raw jute industry. He wrote to Union Textile Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday (January 1, 2026) and said that the “economic and social emergency” in the jute industry was growing rapidly and needed immediate attention.

“The present situation—characterised by acute scarcity of raw jute, extreme price volatility, curtailment of mill operations and loss of employment—has not arisen suddenly. It is the cumulative outcome of policy shortcomings over the last few years, particularly the absence of a credible stabilisation framework for raw jute and irregular demand planning under the Packaging Commodities Supply Order (PCSO) and Gunny Trade Policy (GTP),” Mr. Ritabrata’s letter to Mr. Singh stated.

He further added that though Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement was done during low price years in 2023-24, no further efforts were made to back up the situation through stabilising mechanisms.

Mr. Ritabrata who also serves as the president of the National Trinamool Trade Union Congress said that the lack of clear norms for reserve quantities, lack of release triggers announcements, and no rotation policy deepened the crisis further. “Consequently, MSP procurement absorbed distress sales by farmers but failed to prevent the present scarcity and price shock,”  his letter stated.

He said that these factors culminated into a crisis situation where mills are closing down due to unaffordable raw material costs and eventually thousands of jute mill workers are losing regular employment. This has also led to jute farmers being under distress of facing uncertainty over sales.

The Rajya Sabha MP called for immediate action against this crisis to help both jute farmers and mill workers survive. He called for a clear definition of reserve norms, transparent release triggers, and time-bound stock rotation linked to MSP procurement.

“Timely finalisation of prices and avoidance of demand compression that destabilises both farmers and mills. Faster procurement processes, wider reach, improved grading support, and assured payment timelines,” Mr. Ritabrata stated.

He added that without immediate intervention this can lead to long-term structural damage to the industry and lead to permanent damage of resources which can further affect the whole packing industry in the country which is heavily dependent on jute.