Textiles and jute ministry has asserted its participation in the country's ongoing development work for the sake of economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It also asserted its continued support to jute growers considering the demand and supply of the golden fibre in the local and international markets.
The decisions were made at a meeting held in the conference room of the ministry on Sunday with textiles and jute secretary Lokman Hossain Mia in the chair.
"We need to continue our work in line with the prime minister's directives by maintaining health safety guidelines amid COVID-19," the secretary said.
Additional secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam, who attended the meeting, told the FE that the meeting thoroughly discussed the ongoing 'high-quality jute seed production and its expansion' project.
The project was launched in March 2018. It is being implemented in 230 sub-districts under 46 districts. It will continue until 2023.
The project also aims to train jute farmers to produce high-quality jute.
The government's support to provide 390 tonnes of high-quality jute seeds to the cultivators is now running, according to an official of the ministry.
He said the ministry has devised a plan to offset the financial losses being incurred by handloom weavers due to the havoc wrought by the coronavirus disease.
It has prepared a list of the affected weavers who would get bank loans with only a 5.0-per cent interest rate, he added.
The government has initiated to ensure fair price of jute, sales procedure through SMS, increased production of jute goods, diversification and export, incentives and enforcement of jute packaging act.
