India is a leading producer of Jute, and its culture is rooted in ancient countries. This fiber, often referred to as the ‘golden fibre,’ is a primary agricultural product in India and is heavily dependent on rural society, especially the hinterland of the eastern and northeastern states.
Apart from being grown to extract a robust fiber, Jute is used in everything from sacks and bags to ropes, carpets, and other materials.
Much of employment is provided by the jute industry, which engaged millions of farmers and workers, many of whom are from the countryside.
India’s central jute-producing states include West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa, Tripura, Meghalaya and Uttar Pradesh.
In this article, we look at these states, their role in jute cultivation, and the challenges and opportunities for growth in the sector.
Look at Opportunities, Challenges Facing & State's Role In Cultivation Of Jute
1. West Bengal: The Jute Hub of India
Contribution to India’s Jute Production: Approximately 70%
This analysis confirms that West Bengal is the leading state in jute production in India, contributing 70 percent of the total jute production in the country.
Several climatic factors in the state, such as rainfall and the availability of fertile soil, give the right conditions for the growth of Jute.
Most of the Jute is grown in Hooghly, Nadia, 24 Parganas, Howrah, and Murshidabad districts.
Climate and Soil: Other factors favourable for the cultivation of Jute are the high humidity in the state due to environmental weather and alluvial soil. The season that benefits the monsoons facilitates good rainfall, essential for jute plants.
Jute Industry: West Bengal’s jute processing industries are concentrated in the Kolkata-Hooghly area, which includes many jute mills. The state’s action plan influences jute-based products’ domestic and international markets.
Challenges: Traditional jute mills have suffered from competition from synthetic materials, and farmers often need help adopting new farming techniques.
2. Bihar: The Emerging Jute Producer
Contribution to India’s Jute Production: Approximately 15%
Bihar’s jute sector is the second highest in India. The state’s climate, soil conditions, and labor availability help the crop develop, and hence, this state occupies a favored position in jute cultivation. The concentration of jute-growing production is confined to only four districts of Bihar: Bhagalpur, Purnia, Madhepura, and Saharsa.
Climate and Soil: Bihar receives ample monsoon rain and has riverine-like soil due to its links to the Ganga, and its branches are capable of jute cultivation.
Economic Impact: It creates employment opportunities for around 2500-3000 farmers, mainly from the rural belt of Bihar, where agriculture is still their primary source of income. It also manufactures several other jute products.
Challenges: Some require farmers to use higher levels of technology and poor irrigation facilities to define crop productivity in Bihar.
3. Assam: Jute Cultivation in the Northeast
Contribution to India’s Jute Production: Approximately 5%
Assam: Jute Cultivation in the Northeast
Assam, known for its tea plantations and abundant rainfall, is also a significant producer of Jute.
The state’s fertile alluvial soil, coupled with a humid subtropical climate, supports jute cultivation. Central jute-producing districts include Barpeta, Nalbari, Darrang, and Jorhat.
Climate and Soil: Assam’s subtropical climate, with heavy rainfall during the monsoon season, is ideal for jute farming. The alluvial soil, enriched by river flood plains, enhances the growth of jute plants.
Economic Role: In Assam, jute cultivation is a significant agricultural activity providing livelihoods to rural farmers.
Challenges: Despite its potential, jute farming in Assam needs to be improved by low mechanization, traditional farming practices, and issues with infrastructure and transportation
4. Odisha: A Growing Jute Producer
Contribution to India’s Jute Production: Approximately 5%
Odisha, located on India’s eastern coast, is another crucial state in jute production. The state has been gradually increasing its share in the jute sector, with key growing regions including Balasore, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, and Keonjhar.
Climate and Soil: Odisha’s coastal climate, with abundant rainfall, coupled with the fertile soil of the eastern plateau, supports jute cultivation.
Potential: The state focuses on improving its infrastructure and adopting better farming practices to boost jute production.
Challenges: Odisha’s jute industry is still in its developing stage compared to West Bengal, and farming practices and processing technologies need to be modernized.
5.Tripura: Jute Farming in the Northeast
Contribution to India’s Jute Production: Approximately 2%
There is a jute industry in one of the seven states in the northeastern region of India, and the state is known as Tripura, though it has less share than other states. Sepahijala and West Tripura are important districts where Jute is mainly produced.
Climate and Soil: The climate is usually humid, and the soil favors the growth of jute plants. The monsoon period is also advantageous for developing Jute and other allied crops.
Economic Role: Jute farming is one of the leading farming activities within the farming community in Tripura.
Challenges: The jute industry in Tripura, which could particularly benefit from this, is currently constrained by factors like poor infrastructure, limited market outlets, and a low level of mechanization.
6. Meghalaya: A Smaller but Important Player
Contribution to India’s Jute Production: Approximately 1%
Meghalaya is another northeast state that contributes a small but significant amount to jute production. Jute crops are grown in East Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi districts.
Climate and Soil: Meghalaya’s climate is subtropical. The state receives a good amount of rainfall and has suitable soil for Jute cultivation. The problematic factor is the landforms, which make large-scale farming a bit difficult, though there are many hills in the region.
Challenges: The challenges prevalent in this region include low levels of mechanization, the use of outdated farming practices, and juicy geographical factors, all of which are big setbacks.
7. Uttar Pradesh: The Minor Contributor
Contribution to India’s Jute Production: Approximately 1%
Uttar Pradesh is one of the states in the northern Indian region with a comparatively small jute production. Thus, the three important jute-producing districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh are Learner Gorakhpur, Deoria, and Maharajganj.
Climate and Soil: Like many parts of the Indian subcontinent, Uttar Pradesh has a tropical and subtropical climate, and Jute grows best in the black alluvial soils of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Challenges: Although there is evidence that Uttar Pradesh may boost its production of Jute, various challenges, such as rising competition with other crops and a lack of modern farming techniques, pose a significant challenge.
Conclusion
Jute is one of India’s main industries, and millions of farmers and workers contribute to the economy, especially in the eastern and northwestern parts.
While West Bengal holds a lion’s share of the total production of Jute, other states that contribute to the production include Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Uttar Pradesh.
However, the sector has constraints such as traditional farming techniques, a low level of mechanization, a lack of proper infrastructure, and competition from synthetic fibers.
To overcome such challenges and bring innovation to the jute industry, India would feel it would retain its superior position in the global arena and considerable export markets. Also, the process of jute farming should be made sustainable.
