Jute Cultivation in India – A Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents 

• Understanding the Basics of Jute Cultivation
• Jute Production in India
• Main Types of Jute Crops Cultivated in India
• Jute Farming Practices in India 
  • Climate and Soil Requirement for Jute 
  • Sowing Jute 
  • Fertilizer Management
  • Irrigation
  • Jute Harvesting 
  • Jute Fibre Extraction 
• Top 5 Major Jute Producing States in India 
• Government Measures to Support Jute Farming 

Understanding the Basics of Jute Cultivation

Jute is an important cash crop of India and is also known as golden fibre. It can be used for diverse applications such as textile industries, paper industries, building, and automotive industries. Jute cultivation attracts many farmers because of its silky lustre, high tensile strength, durability, versatility, and low cost. 

Jute Production in India

Jute is grown in the Ganges delta region. That is why jute cultivation in India is concentrated in East India, particularly in West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, and Odisha, which are the largest producers of jute in India. According to the Unified Portal for Agriculture Statistics (UPAg), the total jute production in all India in 2024-25 stood at 84.88 lakh tonnes.

Main Types of Jute Crops Cultivated in India

• White Jute: Its scientific name is Corchorus capsularis. You can identify this crop through the color of the stem as it varies from full green to dark red. This variety is used for making clothes, ropes, and twines. 
• Tossa Jute: Its scientific name is Corchorus Olitorius. India is a leading producer of this variety, which can be identified by its light red or deep red stems. It produces high-quality fibre, and its leaves are edible.

Jute Farming Practices in India 

Jute farming in India requires specific climatic conditions, soil, and practices. Some practices in jute cultivation in India include sowing, irrigation, harvesting, and extracting jute fibres. Let’s discuss each practice briefly. 

Climate and Soil Requirement for Jute 

Jute crops are native to warm, humid regions. The rainfall, temperature and soil needed for jute cultivation are: 

• Rainfall required for jute is 2,500 mm. 
• The temperature required for jute is 15 – 34 °C. 
• A mean relative humidity of 65%. 
• The jute crop can be grown in sandy loam to clay loam soil.

Sowing Jute 

The sowing time of jute varies from region to region. It depends on the amount of pre-monsoon showers received, the availability of residual moisture in the soil, and the variety of jute species cultivated. But in general, the sowing season of jute is from March to May. 

Further, to sow jute crops, either the line-sowing method or the broadcast method is used. However, due to several advantages of the line sowing method over the broadcast method, the former is widely used in jute farming. 

Fertilizer Management

Fertilizer supplies essential nutrients for the growth of jute crops. Phosphorus, Muriate of Potash, Nitrogen, Urea, and Compost are used as fertilizers. Generally, white jute species require more nutrients compared to the Tossa jute. 

To enrich the land, you need to apply fertilizer depending on the status of your soil land.

Irrigation

Jute cultivation requires a minimum of 50 cm of water and a soil moisture of 20% for its growth and development. Water needs are met through rain or irrigation. Irrigation is especially required in areas with insufficient rainfall. 

During the initial stages of growth, provide one or two irrigations to the young Mesta crop. Space them 15 to 20 days apart. This ensures that the soil receives sufficient moisture, which is important for the germination of jute seeds. 

Jute Harvesting 

The harvesting of jute can take place after 90 – 150 days from the sowing of jute. Ideally, harvesting jute crops at early stages yields the best-quality fibre. 

After harvesting, jute plants are left in the field for 2-3 days for the leaves to shed. Then, the plants are tied into bundles of 20 – 25 cm for soaking in water. Soaking is performed immediately after harvest. 

Jute Fibre Extraction 

The fibre of the jute plant is under the bark, and it surrounds the woody central part of the stem. To extract jute fibre, usually two methods are used. These are: 

• Single Reed Method – This is a process in which you strip fibre from a stem 4-5 times. After that, leave 8–10 cm of fibre at the base, grip it firmly and gently pull the entire strip free before washing it in clean water. This is a slow method, but it produces high-quality and tangle-free fibre.
• Beat-break-jerk method - It is a faster process in which you hold a handful of stems, beat the base with a mallet, and break the woody core. You then twist the bundle and shake it vigorously in water until the broken sticks slip out, after which you wash and dry the fibre.

After extraction, washing, and drying, the raw stems provide high-quality jute fibre.

Top 5 Major Jute Producing States in India 

The largest producer of Jute in India is West Bengal. Some other major states are as follows:

Government Measures to Support Jute Farming 

The Indian government has taken several measures to promote jute industry.

• The government has mandated jute packaging for food grains and sugar, while offering a steady Minimum Support Price to protect farmers and artisans.
• The government has fixed the Minimum Support Price of raw jute at Rs. 5,925/- per quintal for the 2026-27 season.
• The jute sector was struggling against synthetic competition and obsolete machinery. So, the National Jute Development Program was introduced to drive eco-friendly, value-added diversification into textile and non-textile products.