National Jute Board (NJB), Jute Corporation of India Ltd. (JCI), ICAR–Central Research Institute for Jute & Allied Fibres (ICAR-CRIJAF), and Agriculture Department of Nagaland, signed a four-party Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Key Highlights
- Duration: 2025–26 to 2030–31 (5 years).
- Objective: Expand jute cultivation, improve agronomic practices, and introduce fibres such as flax, ramie, and sisal on a pilot scale.
- Benefits: Alternative cash crops, higher farmer incomes, sustainable livelihoods.
- Eco-Impact: Jute is biodegradable, renewable, eco-friendly, and a substitute for plastics and timber.
- Current Cultivation: ~3,000 hectares suitable in Nagaland; 350 hectares already under cultivation.
- Market Advantage: With JCI support, prices rose from ₹25–30/kg (middlemen) to ₹56.40/kg (2024).
- Geographic Spread: Peren, Chümoukedima, Dimapur, Niuland, Wokha, Mon, Mokokchung.
- Implementation: Training and awareness from Nov 2025; sowing starts Feb 2026.
Scope Of Collaboration
- Agriculture Dept. – Identify schemes, mobilise farmers.
- NJB – Technical, financial & promotional support (Jute ICARE, New Age Fibre Mission).
- CRIJAF – R&D, improved seed varieties, technical guidance.
- JCI – Procurement & price support mechanisms.
About Jute
- Category: Bast fibre crop (like flax, hemp, ramie, kenaf).
- Major Growing Areas: Eastern India – West Bengal (dominant), Bihar, Assam. Bangladesh is also a global hub.
History:
- First jute mill: Rishra, West Bengal (1855).
- Known as “Golden Fibre” → 2nd most important cash crop in India (after cotton).
Species:
- Tossa Jute (Corchorus olitorius) – stronger fibre.
- White Jute (Corchorus capsularis) – softer fibre.
- Mesta– Hibiscus cannabinus & Hibiscus sabdariffa.
Ideal Conditions:
- Soil: Fertile loamy alluvial soil.
- Climate: 17°C–41°C, RH 40–90%, >120 cm rainfall.
- Harvesting: 100–150 days; best at early pod stage (balance of quality & yield).
- Retting: Microbial water process, ideally at 34°C in clean slow-moving water.
- Uses: Bags, ropes, pulp, paper, geotextiles, garments, carbon composites, wall coverings, flooring.
- Employment: Supports 14 million livelihoods.
Benefits Of Jute Fibres
- Eco-friendly – Biodegradable alternative to plastics.
- Sustainability – Requires less land, water, pesticides vs cotton.
- Farmer Income – ₹35,000–40,000/acre from fibre, stalk, leaves.
- Carbon Sequestration – Up to 1.5 tonnes CO₂/ha/year absorbed.
- Industrial Potential – Value-added products (composites, textiles, activated carbon, geotextiles).
Challenges
- Water scarcity for retting (due to reduced natural flooding).
- Underutilised capacity: Industry at ~55% utilisation.
- Outdated technology: Many jute mills run machinery >30 years old.
- Product diversification gap: Still heavily dependent on sacks (due to govt orders).
- Regional imbalance: ~60/70 jute mills located along Hooghly (West Bengal).
- Policy gaps: Weak enforcement of Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act, 1987.
Government Schemes For Jute
- Jute Packaging Materials Act, 1987 (JPMA) – mandatory jute use in packaging.
- National Jute Policy, 2005 – holistic jute development.
- Jute Technology Mission (JTM) – R&D, quality & productivity boost.
- Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw jute.
- Jute ICARE Project – Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise.
- National Technical Textiles Mission – includes jute-based geotextiles.
- Jute SMART – digital platform for jute bag procurement.
Way Forward
- Golden Fibre Revolution – Increase cultivation, quality, diversification, exports.
- Water/Flood Management – Controlled irrigation to ease retting.
- Technology Upgradation – Subsidised machinery for mills.
- Product Innovation – Promote geotextiles, activated carbon, composites.
- Policy Strengthening – Better enforcement of JPMA, updated to new needs.