U.N. funds jute projects in India, Bangladesh

The United Nations established the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) as a financial entity supporting projects in developing countries, and the CFC awarded two million dollars to a five-year project to develop jute geotextiles in India and Bangladesh. The raw materials are plentiful and renewable, and jute geotextiles control soil erosion, biodegrade, enhance soil nutrition and are less expensive than synthetic geotextiles. India is using domestically produced jute geotextiles on national road construction, and Bangladesh may soon follow suit if the CFC project can help increase production capacity. The Janata and Sadat Jute Mills in Bangladesh currently export 2,000-2,500 tons of jute geotextiles a year to the EU, Australia and Canada.