The Pakistan Jute Mills Association (PJMA) was founded in 1970 in an effort to reduce reliance on

jute Jute ( ) is a long, rough, shiny bast fibre that can be Spinning (textiles), spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', of the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ...

imports. The

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

prioritised the development of the domestic jute industry. As a result, between 1964 and 1971, four jute mills were set up in the country, each with limited production capacity aimed at fulfilling the local demand for jute products.

History of Jute Mills

In 1970, the

Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) () is a state corporation of Pakistan working under Ministry of Industries and Production (Pakistan), Ministry of Industries and Production. History Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation ...

(PIDC) a program to supply government agencies with packaging materials for food grain storage. At the time, the jute industry relied heavily on raw jute imports from

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

. Today, Pakistan's jute mills are fully equipped with spinning, weaving, and finishing facilities for producing hessian cloth and jute sacks. Key buyers of these jute products include government agencies, public sector corporations, and farmers, who primarily use jute sacks for the long-term storage of food grains such as sugar and wheat. Other commodities stored in jute sacks include rice, coffee, pulses, rapeseed, and cottonseed. The jute industry in Pakistan employs over 30,000 workers and is fully capable of meeting the country’s demand for jute products. Additionally, jute mills, which are members of the Pakistan Jute Mills Association, export their products to markets around the world, including

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

, the UK,

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Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, and

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Governance

Election Results for the Office bearers/Executive Committee members of Pakistan Jute Mills Association for the year 2012–13, Malik Mohammad Jehangir, Executive Director of Indus Jute Mills Limited, Dhabeji,

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

and White Pearl Jute Mills Limited,

Hafizabad Hafizabad ( Punjabi / ; ; ) is a city and capital of Hafizabad District located in Punjab, Pakistan. Hafizabad is an old settlement. In 327 BC, during Alexander's invasion of Punjab, the territory of the Sandal Bar was reported to be a well popu ...

Successes

Pakistan Jute Mills Association (PJMA) on regular basis make people aware that jute bag is environment friendly packing undred percent biodegradable and recyclablefor the agriculture commodities specially grainsand the use of woven polypropylene bag is unfavorable for environment and ecology. To meet the requirement of the jute mills Pakistan needs only 150,000 acres. Due to the government's decision to use polypropylene bags for procurement has resulted in the closure of five mills out of twelve jute mills of Pakistan. The leading members of PJMA and leading mills are Indus Jute Mills Limited, Dhabeji,

and White Pearl Jute Mills Limited,

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. PJMA launched initiative to convince farmers to sow jute to meet the demand and also to save $100 million annually on import. The association extended full support to the farmers (from plantation to marketing). PJMA also assured farmers regarding free seed provision and promised to provide them guidance. The association also assured farmers buying the whole produce at a better price compared to cotton.

External links

Pakistan Jute Mills Association

References

{{reflist Business organisations based in Pakistan Agricultural organisations based in Pakistan Jute industry