Context:

The National Jute Board recently said that jute production is expected to decline by 20% in the current financial year 2024-25 due to the devastating floods in West Bengal and Assam.

More on the News: 

• The floods, which wreaked havoc on vast tracts of land, severely damaged jute crops, disrupting the cultivation process. 
• This disruption has far-reaching consequences, not only for farmers but also for the entire jute manufacturing and value chain.

About the Jute Sector in India: A Golden Fiber

• India is the world's largest Jute producer with a 75% share in estimated global production and exporter of jute followed by Bangladesh. 
• A natural fiber known for its strength, durability, and eco-friendliness. 
• The jute industry plays a crucial role in the country's rural economy, providing livelihoods to millions of farmers and workers. 
• The industry employs about more than 4 lakh workers.
• Laboratory tests have confirmed the feasibility of extracting ethanol from jute plants, with an estimated yield of 495 liters of ethanol per ton of jute.

About National Jute Board (NJB):

• HQ: Kolkata (West Bengal)
• The NJB is governed under the National Jute Board Act, 2008 and operates under the Ministry of Textiles Government of India.
• Its primary objective is to make India the leader of the jute sector by achieving excellence that supports modernization, productivity enhancement, and domestic as well as international marketing of jute products.
• The following four major Schemes are Under the National Jute Development Program (NJDP) Umbrella Scheme to be implemented during 2021-26. 
• Jute - Improved Cultivation and Retting Exercises (ICARE)
• Jute Diversification Scheme
• Market Development & Promotion 
• Scholarship Scheme for Girl Children of Workers of Jute Mills/MSME JDP Units.

Jute Cultivation in India:

• The jute industry is among the oldest and most prominent industries in India.
• Jute cultivation is mainly concentrated in the Gangetic delta areas in three Indian states: West Bengal (83.4%), Assam (8.2%), and Bihar (7.2%) which together produce approx. 99% of the country’s jute.
• The minimum support price (MSP) for raw jute for the 2024-2025 season is ₹5,335 per quintal.  This is an increase of ₹285 per quintal from the previous season. 

Jute: A Versatile Fiber: 

• Jute is used in a wide range of applications, including the production of sacks, bags, carpets, textiles, and handicrafts. 
• It is also gaining popularity as a sustainable alternative to plastic, particularly in the packaging and fashion industries.
• The first jute mill in India was set up in the year 1855 at Rishra, near Kolkata.

Favorable Conditions Required for Jute Cultivation:

• Climate: humid tropical climates 
• Temperature: 24-38°C
• Rainfall: 150-200 cm rainfall is essential for jute cultivation, along with moisture in the wind is necessary.
• Soil: Well-drained alluvial soil or loamy soil or river basin is ideal for jute production
• Land: Plain Land or Gentle slope or low land is ideal.
• sowing harvesting: Planted between April and May and harvested between July and August.

Export Potential:

• India exports jute and jute products mainly to the USA, the UK, Australia, Belgium, Egypt, and Germany etc.
• During 2021-22, the United States was the leading importer of jute manufacture including floor covering, from India, with a value of US$ 107.13 million.