Jute-ICARE (Jute-Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise

Enhancing Livelihood of Jute Farmers Through Mass Up-scaling of Improved Jute Production Technologies Objective To support the small and marginal jute growers with certified seed, mechanization in sowing and weed control and to accelerate retting by using microbial consortium so that the jute growers can grow good quality jute and receive higher price for their produce. About the Scheme The Jute-ICARE project was launched by National Jute Board (NJB) in technical collaboration with ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres (ICARCRIJAF), Barrackpore, Ministry of Agriculture and Jute Corporation of India (JCI), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, Kolkata in the year 2015 with an aim to aware and train the jute farmers for efficient and effective utilization of the improved jute production technologies and increase the fibre productivity as well as quality on a larger scale. The four technologies selected for promotion under the Jute-ICARE project are the technologies developed by ICAR-CRIJAF viz. a) use of certified jute seed (var. JRO 204 & JBO 2003H), b) line sowing of jute using CRIJAF multi-row seed drill, c) mechanical weeding by using CRIJAF nail weeder & CRIJAF single wheel jute weeder, and d) improved retting by using CRIJAF microbial consortium (CRIJAF SONA). The detailed information of area coverage, farmers benefitted and spread of technologies are given in Table 1. The scientists of ICAR-CRIJAF have actively participated in the Jute-ICARE project to provide technical support to the farming community in terms of training (in house & off campus) and field demonstrations of these CRIJAF technologies in the project area. The quality testing of CRIJAF SONA supplied through Jute-ICARE is also carried out at the institute before supplying to the farming community.