SSC
Which country is the world's leading producer of jute?
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Answer: Option B — India
Detailed Solution
India is the world's largest producer of raw jute, accounting for about half or more of the world's production.
About jute:
- It is a natural fibre obtained from the stem of jute plants ("Corchorus olitorius", called "tossa" jute, and "Corchorus capsularis", called white jute).
- It is called the "Golden Fibre" because of its golden colour and its great economic value.
- It is the second most important vegetable fibre after cotton, in terms of production and uses.
- It is biodegradable and eco-friendly, and is used to make gunny bags, sacks, ropes, carpets, mats, bags, textiles and geotextiles.
Conditions for growing jute:
- It is a "kharif" crop.
- It needs a hot and humid climate (temperatures of 24-35 degrees Celsius) and heavy rainfall (150-250 cm).
- It grows well in the fertile alluvial soils of river deltas, which are renewed every year by floods.
- After harvesting, the stems are soaked in water ("retting") to separate the fibre.
Jute in India:
West Bengal is the largest jute-producing state, producing about three-quarters of India's jute. Other producers are Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Meghalaya.
Most jute mills are located along the Hooghly river near Kolkata.
The first jute mill in India was set up at Rishra, near Kolkata, in 1855 by George Acland.
The "Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act, 1987" requires that foodgrains and sugar be packed in jute bags.
The "National Jute Board" (2010) promotes the jute sector.
The ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres is at Barrackpore, West Bengal.
Jute Corporation of India (1971) supports jute farmers through minimum support price operations.
Jute in Bangladesh:
Bangladesh is the second-largest producer, but it is the largest exporter of raw jute and jute goods.
Jute was historically called the "golden fibre of Bengal". After Partition in 1947, most jute-growing areas went to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), while most mills remained in India.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Bangladesh is the second-largest producer and the largest exporter.
- ✗China produces some jute and kenaf, but much less than India.
- ✗Pakistan is not a major jute producer.
Quick tip
Remember: largest jute producer = India (West Bengal top state; mills along the Hooghly; first mill at Rishra 1855); largest exporter = Bangladesh; jute = "Golden Fibre"; kharif crop; retting separates fibre.
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Agriculture in India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Agriculture in India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers agriculture in India: cropping seasons (kharif, rabi and zaid), major food and cash crops and their leading producer states, irrigation, the Green, White, Blue and other agricultural revolutions, and allied activities such as animal husbandry and fisheries. Questions usually ask which crop belongs to which season, which state is the largest producer of a crop, and which revolution relates to which product. For example, the White Revolution relates to milk and was led by Verghese Kurien, and the Blue Revolution relates to fisheries. Producer rankings can change from year to year, so check the latest data for those questions. Practise the agriculture in India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.