Business

In Frames: Jute — the golden fibre

15 September, 2024

Jute, referred to as the golden fibre, is the second most vital money crop in India after cotton when it comes to cultivation and utilization. India is the most important producer of jute on the earth. West Bengal, Assam, and Bihar are the key jute-growing States within the nation, and uncooked jute farming and commerce make up the livelihood of about 14 million individuals.

Jute is principally cultivated by marginal and small farmers of Assam. The State is the second-largest producer of jute in India. The primary jute-producing districts are Nagaon, Goalpara, Barpeta, and Darrang. Jute is a labour-intensive crop and gives big employment alternatives and advantages to native farmers. The agro-based and export-oriented business has performed an vital position within the economic system of Assam.

The bast fibre crop will be harvested at any stage after a sure interval of vegetative progress, often between 100 and 150 days.

Harvesting of jute crop on the pre-bud or bud stage offers the highest quality fibre, nevertheless, the yields are low. Older crop yields extra amount however the fibre turns into coarse and the stem doesn’t ret correctly. Therefore, as a compromise between high quality and amount, the early pod formation stage has been discovered finest for harvesting.

Harvesting is completed by slicing the vegetation at or near the bottom degree with sharp sickles. In flooded lands, the vegetation are uprooted. The harvested vegetation are left within the subject for 2 or three days for the leaves to shed. Subsequent, the vegetation are tied into bundles and the branching tops are left to rot within the subject.

Retting is likely one of the vital operations governing the standard of fibre. The bundles are saved in water and later positioned facet by facet, often in layers and tied collectively. They’re lined with water hyacinth or every other weed that doesn’t launch tannin and iron. The float is then weighed down with seasoned logs or with concrete blocks or are saved submerged with bamboo-crating.

Retting is finest achieved in slow-moving clear water. The optimum temperature is round 34 levels Celsius.

As soon as the fibre comes out simply from the wooden, retting is taken into account full.

Many nations at the moment are making an attempt to scale back using plastic commodities, particularly plastic baggage. Jute baggage are biodegradable and environment-friendly options to plastic baggage. Right here lies the financial prospects of jute.

Together with the normal utilization, jute can contribute within the manufacturing of value-added merchandise resembling paper, pulp, composites, textiles and different supplies.

Picture:
Ritu Raj Konwar

First step: The harvested jute is prepared for fibre extraction at Goroimari village in Kamrup district of Assam. The State is the second largest producer of jute in India.