Jute cultivation

On a smaller scale, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan also cultivate jute.

The stalks are cut off close to the ground, tied into bundles and soaked in water for about 20 days.

The fibers are then stripped from the stalks in long strands and washed in clear, running water.

Jute requires 160–200 cm of rainfall yearly with extra needed during the sowing period.

River basins, alluvial or loamy soils with a pH range between 4.8 and 5.8 are best for jute cultivation.

Since the jute seeds are small in size, land should be finely tilled, which can be done by careful ploughing.

Among them, water or microbial retting is a centuries-old, widely popular process of extracting fine bast fibers.

Jute is primarily grown in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Andhra Pradesh.

In classical antiquity, Pliny recorded that jute plants were used as food in Ancient Egypt.