Assam’s jute revival: the fibre that built the plains comes back
A generation after jute mills closed, the fibre is returning — as eco-friendly packaging.
The jute fields of the Brahmaputra plains, which fed a mill economy a generation ago, are being planted again — this time for the global shift to biodegradable packaging.
A cooperative in Barpeta has linked 2,000 farmers to buyers in Kolkata and Dhaka who want gunny and geotextiles made from the fibre.
The crop’s economics suit the chars: fast, flood-hardy, and green.