DHAKA, April 28: India, the world's largest producer of jute, has pulled out of the International Jute Organisation (IJO), a UN body for promoting the natural fibre produced by some of the poorest nations in Asia, IJO officials said on Tuesday."We have heard (of) the Indian decision on leaving the organisation. This is very unfortunate," one IJO official said.
The Indian government made no immediate comment.
Dhaka's daily Independent paper, quoting unnamed Indian High Commission officials in Dhaka, said on Tuesday that India decided to quit the organisation after its nominee for the post of IJO executive director had been turned down during a meeting in March.
It said all jute importing countries in the IJO backed the candidate from France.
The Dhaka-based IJO comprises five producing countries -- Bangladesh, India, China, Nepal and Thailand -- and 21 consuming nations, mostly in the West.
The IJO officials said on Tuesday that the consumer countries wanted the post of the Chief executive fromtheir side after India and Bangladesh had held it since the establishment of the IJO in 1982.
They said the IJO was expecting a formal notification about the Indian decision soon. "Unless we get that we cannot just officially release the information," said another IJO official. Out of total world jute production of 3.37 million tonnes in 1996/97 (July-June) India's yield has been estimated at 1.836 million tonnes followed by Bangladesh's 900,000 tonnes.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
