India to quit world jute body

05 January 1999

India to quit world jute body

INDIA, the worlds largest producer of jute, has announced that it is leaving the Dhaka-based International Jute Organisation (IJO).

The IJO is the only world forum for jute producers and its research programs, designed to find uses for the crop, are funded by the United Nations.

But India is leaving after failing to get its representative elected as the organisations executive director.

The countrys departure comes at a critical time for the IJO.

The International Agreement on Jute and Jute Products, which are administered by the IJO, will expire in April 2000 and other countries may not renew the agreement if India stays away.

The other exporting members of the IJO are Bangladesh, China, Nepal and Thailand. In the past few years, the USA, Australia and Pakistan, all importing countries, left the IJO because they thought the organisation was underperforming.

• Financial Times 05/01/99 page 29