Which is the largest jute-producing state in India?

West Bengal is by far the largest producer of jute in India, accounting for roughly three-quarters or more of the country's raw jute production. It also has most of India's jute mills.

Why West Bengal leads in jute:

• Jute needs a hot and humid climate (about 25 to 35 degrees Celsius), heavy rainfall (about 150 to 250 cm) and high humidity, all of which are found in the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta region.
• The fertile, well-drained alluvial soils of the floodplains, renewed every year by fresh silt deposited by floods, are ideal.
• Plenty of water is available for retting (soaking the jute stalks to separate the fibre).
• A large supply of cheap labour is available for harvesting, retting and stripping.
• Main jute-growing districts: Nadia, Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Malda.

Jute industry in West Bengal:

• Most jute mills are located along the banks of the Hooghly river, near Kolkata, in a belt about 100 km long.
• The Hooghly provides water for processing and transport, and Kolkata provides a port, banking and markets.

The industry declined after the Partition of India in 1947, because most jute-growing areas went to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), while the mills remained in India. India then expanded jute cultivation in West Bengal, Bihar and Assam.

Other jute-producing states:

Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Meghalaya, Tripura and Andhra Pradesh (mesta).

Institutions:

• The National Jute Board and the Jute Corporation of India are headquartered in Kolkata.
• The ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres is at Barrackpore, West Bengal.

Jute in the world:

• India is the largest producer of raw jute and jute goods, while Bangladesh is the largest exporter of raw jute.
• Jute is promoted as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic because it is biodegradable.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Bihar is the second largest producer, mainly in the Purnia and Katihar districts.
• ✗Assam is the third largest producer, in the Brahmaputra valley.
• ✗Odisha produces small amounts of jute in its coastal districts.