1) Most Significant achievements of 2020-21 & 2021-22
Achievements of 2020-21:
Achievements of 2021-22:
2) Most Significant targets for 2022-23:
Proposed output
| Output | Indicator | 2022-23 |
| Development/ refinement of equipment/ machines for natural fibre extraction and processing | No. of new equipment/ machines developed | 03 |
| Development of technology/ process protocol/ product for processing and value addition of agro-produce. | No. of process protocols developed for value addition | 02 |
| No. of new value-added products developed | 02 | |
| Field evaluation and front-line demonstration of the newly developed/ improved prototypes/ technology/ process | No. of front-line demonstrations of improved prototypes conducted | 06 |
| No. of demonstration of technology/ process | 12 | |
| Training of the farmers, entrepreneurs for custom hiring, utilization and maintenance of equipment/ machines related to farm mechanization, processing and value addition | No. of training for unemployed youth on natural fibre organized. | 22 |
| Enhanced level of natural fibre extraction and processing | The expected increase in input use efficiency over the previous year (!%) | 02 |
| Increased level of natural fibre utilization | Natural fibre processing facility developed | 01 |
| Increased in different natural fibre-based value-added product | Natural fibre based valued-added products | 01 |
| Assessment report of prototypes developed | The machine developed for stakeholders | 02 |
| Demonstration area covered under the technology/ process | Advanced/ improved retting technology | 1000 ha area |
| Skill development on Natural fibre handicrafts for unemployed youth | Self-employment generation on natural fiber handicrafts manufacturing | 2 units |
| Thrust Area I: Instrumentation and machinery development for extraction and processing of natural fibres. |
| Development of a new grading system for jute: ICAR-NINFET has modified the Jute Fibre Grading System, in which the grades have been reduced to five grades (TD-1 to TD-5) from the existing eight grading system (TD-1 to TD-8). The modified grading system has been approved by BIS as Fifth Revision (IS 271:2020). Commission for Agricultural Cost & Price (CACP), Govt. of India adopted five grading systems for fixing the minimum support price (MSP) of Jute and Mesta Developed Grading Instruments
Mechanization of natural fibre extraction
● Developed digital drape meter for lignocellulosic fabrics. ● Developed portable water tank fast retting of jute ribbons and barky jute. ● Developed prototype of improved & high-capacity power ribonner ● Developed an automatic strength testing instrument and integrated grading instrument for natural fibres. |
| Thrust Areas II: Quality improvement and value chain on natural fibres. |
| ● “NINFET-Sathi”: Developed retting accelerator “NINFET-Sathi” powder formulation This technology leads to 50!% water saving, time reduced to 10 days and improvement in fibre quality (1-2 grade)which gives additional income to the Jute growers. ● Developed a Jute/Mesta retting technology with bacterial culture isolated from the termite gut. ● Developed Indian flax fibre-based technical textiles ● Modification of yak fibre for making it suitable for the production of blended yarn in jute spinning system and Optimization of spinning parameters for the production of Jute /raw yak fibres based blended products ● Developed low area density jute non-woven: PLA thermal bonded fabric for low cost, strong and fancy bags. ● Developed decorative woven jute-cotton blended fabrics for multiple uses ● Development & Application of Non-woven Jute Mulching Material (NJM) ● Establishment of value chain under-exploited natural fibres like animal fibre Angora, and Yak and Vegetable fibre like nettle, okra, Indian flax and hemp. |
| Thrust Area III: Sustainable processing and by-product utilization of natural fibres and their plant |
| ● Developed an innovative and sustainable bleaching process for jute and allied fibres ● Developed handmade paper and paper-based utilities from banana plant residues left after sap extraction. ● Developed banana adhesive-bonded & sunn-hemp-polypropylene thermal bonded product ● Utilisation of the nonwoven jute composite sheet as household products ● Developed a protocol for preparing beverage (Jute Leaf Tea): A Health Supplement |
| Thrust Area IV: Application of nanotechnologies in the field of natural fibres. |
| ● Optimization of jute stick based activated carbon for removal of heavy metals (Pd, Cd, As) from water, removal of synthetic dyes from effluent and as a matrix clean-up in pesticide residue analysis. ● Standardized a protocol for microbial dissolution of keratin from coarse wool. Extracted keratin was purified and characterized. ● Developed a protocol for MCC and nano cellulose from cellulose extracted from jute stick and whole plant. |
4) Upload important documents on the ICAR website