Popularizing Jute Production Technology & Enterprises Through Non-government Organization: Scope & Prospect

Abdur Rahaman, Project in-charge, Vikas Kendra briefing the activities of his centre during an exposure visit of SHG members organized by icar-crijaf

A Non-government organization (NGO) is any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group/ organization which is formed on local, regional, national or international level and independent of government involvement though it may receive government funding. This also includes clubs and associations that provide services to their members and others. NGOs are mainly involved in humanitarian and social works. They are task-oriented and driven by the people’s need with a common interest. NGOs can act as a useful platform to advocate and monitor government policies and encourage people’s participation in developmental works.

NGOs are classified by the type of activities it undertakes and its level of operation: local, regional, national, or international.The sectors in which the NGOs are working in varying degrees include the areas like agriculture, animal husbandry, dairying & fisheries, biotechnology, differently abled, aged/elderly, environment & forests, micro-finance (SHGs), micro, small and medium enterprises, new & renewable energy, rural development & poverty alleviation, scientific & industrial research, vocational training, women’s development & empowerment and youth affairs.

In India, there are 102218 enrolled NGOs in the form of Private Sector Company, Registered Society, Trust, Academic institution etc. The jute producing states like West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Meghalaya and Tripura are having 7784, 3438, 1784, 3091, 228 and 393 enrolled NGOs, respectively. West Bengal, the major jute growing state in India harbours the third largest NGO network in the country after Uttar Pradesh (14204) and Maharashtra (13652), which may be more than the network of the primary schools and primary health centres in the state. The major jute growing districts of West Bengal viz. Murshidabad, Nadia, Coochbehar, North 24 Parganas, Uttar dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, Hooghly and Malda, are also having a good NGO network with 369, 318, 84, 849, 147, 123, 324 and 292 no. of NGOs, respectively.

From these numbers, it is obvious that NGOs have a well reach to the people especially the rural people as these are mainly working in the rural areas and there is a huge scope and prospect for the promotion of jute production technologies and enterprises through NGOs in West Bengal.

NGOs working in spheres like agriculture, environment, micro-finance (SHGs), micro, small and medium enterprises, new & renewable energy, rural development & poverty alleviation, vocational training, women & youth development and empowerment have the potential to popularize jute production technology and jute-based enterprises. Vikas Kendra, a project of the NGO “Society for Equitable Voluntary Actions” (SEVA) has popularized jute-based production technologies at Atghata and Paschim Shimla villages of Baduria block in North 24 Parganas through extension programmes of ICAR-CRIJAF, Barrackpore, the premier institute for research, development and transfer of production technologies of jute and allied fibre crops. Vikas Kendra has been working in the villages of Baduria, Habra-I& II and Deganga blocks and has engaged jute farmers in organic jute cultivation.

Abdus Sattar, a jute farmer associated with Vikas Kendra from Paschim Shimla village

For ensuring direct economic benefit to the jute farmers and supplying quality raw jute fibre to jute industries for manufacturing of various jute diversified products, market linkages have been created between Vikas Kendra and jute industries. The farmers, after realizing the benefit of scientific jute cultivation, have readily adopted the ICAR-CRIJAF technologies and as change agents, motivated other fellow farmers to do so. This sets a perfect example of promoting improved jute production technologies to the farmers through NGO.

Similarly, with the technical assistance from ICAR-CRIJAF, Barrackpore; other NGOs can also organize capacity building programmes for the jute growers to adopt improved production technologies for obtaining quality jute fibre and higher profit.

NGOs can also work on jute seed production and entrepreneurship development for jute diversified products to pave the way for rural employment generation, women empowerment and youth development. These endeavors surely help an NGO to be a potential instrument for promotion of jute technology, enterprises, and products in the country.

Author

ML Roy

Sr. Scientist (agricultural extension)

Icar-central research institute for jute and allied fibres, barrackpore

Email: [email protected]