The Ministry of Textiles hopes that jute-based sanitary napkins, produced using indigenous raw materials as against imported wood pulp, would assist farmers in getting a remunerative price and enhance employment generation for women.

The Ministry through the National Jute Board has earlier sponsored a project to Indian Jute Industries’ Research Association (IJIRA) on development of jute-based, low-cost sanitary napkins. Now, the government wants farmers to involve in the project. The Ministry added, “ Currently, the pilot project being envisaged for jute sanitary napkin is expected to produce one lakh jute sanitary napkins per day. The project will assist jute farmers in getting remunerative price and will enhance women employment generation.”

According to the government, most of the sanitary napkins available in the market are derived out of wood pulp which is imported from the USA/China. “IJIRA-developed sanitary napkin out of jute pulp where both jute fibres and jute sticks have been used in optimum ratio would be an import substitute of wood pulp,” the Ministry had stated in Rajya Sabha in February last year. Jute-based sanitary napkin has been certified by the National Test House, Kolkata, and it meets the requirement as laid down in IS:5405-1980.

Jute is obtained from annually renewable agricultural resource against fast-depleting wood biomass. The cost of jute pulp is 30-40 per cent less than the conventionally used wood pulp. Only 12-13 per cent and 6-7 per cent of annual jute fibre and jute stick production respectively would be enough to meet the total requirement of sanitary napkins in India As per the National Family Health Survey 2015 – 16 (NFHS–4), 57.6 per cent women in the age group 15–24 years use hygienic methods of protection during their menstrual period. These include locally prepared napkins, sanitary napkins and tampons.

The jute crop is grown in nearly 83 districts of seven states - West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Bihar , Uttar Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya. West Bengal alone accounts for over 50 per cent raw jute production.