JUTE PRODUCTION

Context: A slowdown in global markets since the outbreak of the Russia Ukraine war has taken the sheen off jute or the ´golden fibre´ as it´s often referred to as.

• Jute, which is 100 percent biodegradable and therefore environment friendly, has been reaping the benefits of a global push for sustainable packaging material.
• Data sourced from the Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) shows that the value of jute goods exports has seen a decline after eight odd years.

India’s Jute Industry

• India is the world’s biggest producer of jute, followed by Bangladesh. Jute is primarily grown in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Andhra Pradesh.
• The jute industry in India is 150 years old. There are about 79 jute mills in the country, of which about 60 are in West Bengal along both the banks of river Hooghly.
• Jute production is a labour intensive industry. It employs about two lakh workers in the West Bengal alone and 4 lakh workers across the country.