CLASS 10TH GEOGRAPHY
CHAPTER 6 – MANUFACTURING
INDUSTRIES
TOPIC – AGRO-BASED INDUSTRIES
(JUTE TEXTILES & SUGAR)
JUTE IN INDIA
India is the largest producer of raw jute and jute
goods. Second largest exporter after Bangladesh.
There are about 70 jute mills in India.
Most of these are located in West Bengal, mainly
along the banks of the Hugli river, in a narrow
belt (98 km long and only 3 km wide).
The first jute mill was set up near Kolkata in 1855
at Rishra.
WHY IS THE HUGLI RIVER IDEAL FOR JUTE
INDUSTRIES?
Proximity to Jute Farms: setting up industries here reduces
distance to the raw material.
Transportation: the river along with dense network of roads
and railways provide low cost of transport.
Water Supply: the river itself is an abundant source of water
supply.
Cheap Labour: cheap labour available from Bengal, Bihar and
Odisha.
Capital from Kolkata: Kolkata as a large urban centre provides
banking, insurance and port facilities for export of jute goods
IS JUTE AN OUTDATED PRODUCT OR HAS IT BECOME MORE
ESSENTIAL TODAY?
Challenges faced by the industry include stiff competition in the
international market from synthetic substitutes and from other
competitors like Bangladesh, Brazil, Philippines, Egypt and Thailand.
However, the internal demand has been on the increase due to
the Government policy of mandatory use of jute packaging.
The growing global concern for environment friendly,
biodegradable materials, has once again opened the opportunity for
jute products.
In 2005, National Jute Policy was formulated with the objective of
increasing productivity, improving quality, ensuring good prices to the
jute farmers and enhancing the yield per hectare.
The main markets are U.S.A., Canada, Russia, U.A.E., U.K. and Australia
SUGAR INDUSTRIES IN INDIA
India stands second as a world producer of sugar but
occupies the first place in the production of gur and
khandsari (desi sugar/brown sugar).
There are over 460 sugar mills in the country spread over
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat along with Punjab, Haryana
and Madhya Pradesh.
Sixty per cent mills are in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
This industry is seasonal in nature so, it is ideally suited to
the cooperative sector.
CHALLENGES FACED BY SUGAR INDUSTRIES?
Major challenges include:
1. Short term function of Industry: the seasonal nature
of the industry makes it functional for a short term
annually.
2. Need for Updates: old and inefficient methods of
production makes our product less desirable globally.
3. Maximise extraction: transport delay in reaching cane
to factories
4. Waste Management: need to maximise the use of
bagasse.
LOCATION OF SUGAR MILL: CHALLENGE OR OUTDATED?
The raw material (sugarcane) used in this industry is bulky, and in
haulage its sucrose content reduces from the second you chop the
cane from the crop/plant. This makes sugarcane a perishable good.
Ideally sugar mills have to be set up inside or very close to the
sugarcane farms so as not to waste the good quality of sugarcane
crops grown in North India.
In recent years, there is a tendency for the mills to shift and
concentrate in the southern and western states, especially in
Maharashtra, because:
1. The cane produced here has a higher sucrose content.
2. The cooler climate also ensures a longer crushing season.
3. The cooperatives are more successful in these states.
