Maarg Manthan · Topic 11.20

Jute: Growing Conditions, Production Pattern, International Trade, Substitutes (Flax, Hemp, Sisal)

Geography › Agriculture and Crop Geography · Topic 11.20

Jute is the golden fibre, a bast fibre from the stem of the plants Corchorus capsularis (white jute) and Corchorus olitorius (tossa jute). It needs hot, humid weather of 24 to 35 °C, 150 to 250 cm of rain and fertile alluvium that is replenished by floods; the stems are cut and retted in water to loosen the fibre. India and Bangladesh grow most of the world's jute, and in India West Bengal gives about three-fourths, followed by Bihar and Assam. Substitutes and competitors are flax, hemp, sisal, kenaf and synthetic fibres such as polypropylene.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Agriculture and Crop Geography

At a Glance

Fibre Bast fibre, the golden fibre
Climate Hot and humid; 150 to 250 cm rain
Top producers India and Bangladesh
Indian states West Bengal, Bihar, Assam
Substitutes Flax, hemp, sisal, kenaf, synthetics
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Agriculture and Crop Geography

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows cotton and takes the second main fibre crop, which is specific to the delta of the Ganga and Brahmaputra. Jute links agriculture with one of the oldest agro-based industries of India, the jute mills of the Hooghly. Previous topic: regur) Acidic leached soil Laterite Desert soil Arid soil, sandy Classification…">Black soil; alluvium Types Long, medium, short staple Top Indian states…">Cotton: Varieties, Growing Conditions, Production Pattern, International Trade. Next topic: Natural Rubber: Sources, Southeast Asian Plantations, Production Pattern, International Trade.

What Are the Growing Conditions of Jute?

Factor	Requirement
Temperature	High, 24 to 35 °C, with humid weather
Rainfall	150 to 250 cm, well distributed; water for retting; sensitive to waterlogging at early stages
Soil	Fertile, well-drained alluvium and sandy loam, replenished by annual floods of rivers in the delta
Labour	Labour-intensive: sowing, weeding, cutting, retting and stripping done by hand
Season	Sown in March to May, harvested in July to September, before the main rains end

The conditions are met best in the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta, where floods spread silt, and where the climate is hot and humid. For this reason, the jute belt has been the lower Ganga plain, Bangladesh and Assam.

How Is Jute Processed and Used?

Species: white jute (Corchorus capsularis) is grown in lowlands; tossa jute (C. olitorius) is of better quality and is grown on higher lands. Mesta (kenaf and roselle) is a related fibre crop.
Retting: the cut stems are bundled and kept submerged in slow-moving or still water for 10 to 20 days so that microbes loosen the fibre from the stem. The fibre is then stripped, washed and dried. Water is thus needed after harvest, and the process can pollute ponds.
Products: gunny bags (sacking) and hessian cloth for packing grain and sugar, carpet backing, twine, rope, geotextiles, handicrafts and a growing range of decorative and fashion items.
Environment: jute is biodegradable, absorbs carbon dioxide quickly and improves the soil by leaf fall, so it is called an eco-friendly fibre.
Industry: about 70 mills, many along the Hooghly in West Bengal such as Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly districts, process jute. The Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act, 1987 requires use of jute bags for packing foodgrains and sugar, which supports demand. The National Jute Board was set up in 2009.

What Is the Production Pattern and Trade?

World: about 3 million tonnes of raw jute, with India and Bangladesh together giving more than 90 per cent, and small amounts from China, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand.
India: about 9 to 10 million bales of 180 kg (roughly 1.6 to 1.8 million tonnes). West Bengal gives about three-fourths of output, followed by Bihar and Assam, and small amounts from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura.
Trade: Bangladesh is the largest exporter of raw jute and jute goods in the world, while India is the largest producer and consumer, and imports raw jute from Bangladesh and Nepal when needed. Jute goods are exported to the USA, the European Union, Australia and the Gulf.
Substitutes and competitors: synthetic polypropylene bags, which are cheaper and lighter, have taken a large share of the packaging market. Several natural fibres are also used in place of or alongside jute.

Substitute	Source	Main producers and use
Flax	Stem of the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum); gives linen	Cooler regions: France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia; fine cloth, canvas
Hemp	Stem of Cannabis sativa (industrial hemp)	China, Europe, Canada; rope, textiles, paper
Sisal	Leaves of Agave sisalana	Brazil, Tanzania, Kenya; rope, twine, carpets, in drier regions
Kenaf and mesta	Related to jute	India, Bangladesh, China; sacking
Synthetic fibres	Polypropylene and nylon	Cheap packaging that competes with jute bags

As an analytical point, jute is a case of a regional crop and industry that had a monopoly during the colonial period, then lost the market to synthetics and now seeks a new place as a sustainable, diversified fibre. The industry’s issues include old machinery, labour troubles and dependence on a mandatory-use law. The figures are approximate and should be updated.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Region Delta belt
Substitutes Flax, hemp, sisal
Policy Compulsory packaging law

What Came Next?

The next topic describes natural rubber: sources, plantations of South-East Asia, production and trade. Next topic: Natural Rubber: Sources, Southeast Asian Plantations, Production Pattern, International Trade.

Key People and Terms

Retting Soaking stems to loosen fibre
Bast fibre Fibre from plant stems
Hessian Coarse jute cloth
Tossa jute Corchorus olitorius
Mesta Kenaf or roselle fibre
JPMA Jute Packaging Materials Act

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Jute is the golden fibre.
West Bengal grows about three-fourths of Indian jute.
Retting loosens the fibre in water.
Bangladesh is the top exporter.
JPMA was passed in 1987.

Do Not Confuse With

Jute and cotton Bast fibre of the humid delta versus seed fibre of warm drier land
Retting and ginning Soaking stems versus separating seed from cotton
Flax and sisal Cool-region stem fibre versus dry-region leaf fibre

Memory Hook

Hot and humid delta, flood-fed silt; retted, stripped, golden jute built.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for the geography and problems of the jute industry. These points add depth.

Location Delta and mills
Competition Synthetics
Revival Eco-friendly uses

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Explain why jute cultivation is concentrated in the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta and discuss the problems of the jute industry.”

How to Answer

Conditions Heat, rain, alluvium.
Process Retting.
Pattern States and countries.
Problems Substitutes and policy.

GS Relevance

Prelims: jute conditions, retting, producing states, substitutes, mills. GS Paper 1 and 3: crop geography and agro-based industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is jute called the golden fibre?

Jute is called the golden fibre because of its shiny, golden-brown colour and because it was a major source of income and foreign exchange for the Ganga delta region, especially in the colonial and early post-independence periods. It is a natural, biodegradable bast fibre obtained from the stems of the jute plant.

What are the climatic requirements for jute?

Jute needs a hot, humid climate with temperatures of 24 to 35 degrees Celsius, 150 to 250 centimetres of rainfall, and fertile alluvial soil renewed by floods. It also requires plentiful water for retting after harvest. These conditions are found in the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta of West Bengal, Bangladesh and Assam.

What is retting?

Retting is the process of soaking the cut jute stems in slow-moving or still water for about 10 to 20 days, during which microbes loosen the fibre from the woody stem. The fibre is then stripped by hand, washed and dried. The process needs much water and can pollute ponds.

Which are the major jute-producing countries and states?

India and Bangladesh produce more than 90 per cent of the world's jute. Within India, West Bengal grows about three-fourths of the crop, followed by Bihar and Assam. Bangladesh is the largest exporter of raw jute and jute goods, and India is the largest producer and consumer.

What are the substitutes for jute?

The substitutes and competitors of jute include flax, which gives linen, hemp, sisal, kenaf and mesta among natural fibres, and synthetic fibres such as polypropylene, which are cheaper for packaging. India protects jute by the Jute Packaging Materials Act of 1987, which makes jute bags compulsory for packing foodgrains and sugar.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 West Bengal is the largest jute-producing state of India.

True

About three-fourths of the output.

2 Jute is grown mainly in dry areas with low rainfall.

False

It needs a hot, humid climate.

3 Retting is the process of removing the seeds from cotton.