DIVERSIFIED JUTE PRODUCT MARKETING SYSTEM IN BANGLADESH

The study was an attempted to identify the existing marketing system of diversified jute products in Bangladesh. It was mainly based on primary data collected from 80 respondents taking 50 manufacturers cum exporters, 10 exporters and 20 retailers of diversified jute products in five areas of Dhaka city. Purposive sampling technique was used to collect primary data during the period from July 2010 to June 2011. Different intermediaries such as manufacturers cum exporters, exporters and retailers (retailer-I & retailer-II) were participated in the diversified jute products marketing channels. Three major channels such as: i) manufacturers cum exporters – retailer-I – local consumers, ii) manufacturers cum exporters – retailer-II – local consumers and, iii) manufacturers cum exporters – exporters – foreign buyers were identified in the existing marketing system of diversified jute products in Bangladesh. The study found a wide range of diversified jute products, which had multiple variations from manufacturer to manufacturer on sizes, shapes and value additions in each category of the products. Per unit manufacturing cost was comparatively higher for shopping/fancy bags, floor mats/staranji, slippers/shoes, tissue boxes and wall hanging (showpieces). Retailer-I incurred higher marketing cost and margin from per unit diversified jute product compared to other participants in the marketing channels. However, the highest profit was obtained by the manufacturers cum exporters and retailer- I from sataranji among all kinds of diversified jute products.