Jute Cultivation in India – A Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Jute Cultivation in India
• Jute Farming Practices in India
• Climate and Soil Requirement for Jute
• Sowing of Jute
• Irrigation and Fertilizer Management of Jute
• Jute Harvesting
• Jute Fibre Extraction
• Major Jute Producing States in India
• Government Measures to Support Jute Farming

Introduction

Jute cultivation has been practised since ancient times. During the 19th and 20th centuries, its cultivation became indispensable for making sacks, boot linings, carpets, aprons, ropes, etc. Jute agriculture attracted people because of its properties, such as durability, versatility, strength, and low cost.

Jute crop is an important cash crop of India. It is also known as golden fibre. It is the next important natural fibre crop after cotton in India. It is a 100% biodegradable crop.

Jute Cultivation in India

Jute is mainly grown in the Ganges delta region. That is why jute cultivation in India is mainly concentrated in East India, particularly in West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Meghalaya, and Odisha, which are the largest producers of jute in India.

Today, India is the largest producer of Jute goods globally. It accounts for 70% of the world's jute production. According to the unified portal for agriculture statistics, the total jute production in all India in 2024-25 stood at 84.88 lakh Tonnes.

In India, two major jute crops are cultivated. These are:

• White Jute: Its scientific name is Corchorus capsularis. This variety is used for making clothes, ropes, and twines.
• Tossa Jute: Its scientific name is Corchorus Olitorious. India is a leader in this variety of jute. It provides fibre, and its leaves are used for edible purposes. This variety is silkier, softer, and stronger than White Jute.

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 us see 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:

• Jute requires 2,500 mm of rainfall.
• The temperature required for jute is 15 – 34 °C.
• A mean relative humidity of 65%.
• Loamy and new grey alluvial soil of good depths with pH values of 5.0 – 7.4.

Sowing of 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.

In the line sowing method,

• First, prepare the land well until the soil has a very fine tilth. It requires ploughing and cross-harrowing 3 – 5 times, followed by planking.
• Second, sow jute with a row spacing of 25 – 30 cm and plant spacing of 5 – 7 cm.
• Third, maintain a sowing depth of 2.5 – 3 cm.

Irrigation and Fertilizer Management of Jute

Jute cultivation requires a minimum of 50 cm of water and a soil moisture of 18 – 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, one or two irrigations at 20-day intervals are required. This ensures that the soil receives sufficient moisture, which is very important for the germination of jute seeds.

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.

Jute Harvesting

The harvesting of jute can take place after 120 – 150 days from the sowing of jute. The harvesting usually occurs in October. By then, the jute crop starts shedding flowers. 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 plant extraction method, and
• Beat-break-jerk method.

Further, the process to extract jute fibre involves the following stages:

Major Jute Producing States in India

In India, West Bengal is the leading producer of Jute, accounting for 80.97% of total jute production. The major Jute Producing States in India are:

Government Measures to Support Jute Farming

The Indian government has taken several measures to promote jute cultivation. These are:

• Launched in 2015, the Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise for Jute (Jute-ICARE) aims to double the income of jute growers.
• The CRIJAF has developed SONA, a microbial consortium, to enhance fibre yield by 20%.
• The government has fixed the Minimum Support Price of raw jute at INR 5,335 per quintal for the 2024-25 season.