Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise for Jute (Jute – ICARE) was launched in 2015 to popularize/introduce some of the better agronomic practices and recently developed microbial-assisted retting among farmers intensively in a few blocks in West Bengal and Assam on pilot basis. As a result of these interventions, the earnings of jute farmers have increased by more than Rs.10,000 per hectare.

Keeping in view the massive increase in earnings of jute farmers due to Jute – ICARE programme, All the Chief Ministers has been advised by the Union Textile Ministry to take up Jute ICARE programme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and create awareness amongst farmers for use of certified jute seeds through Krishi Vikas Kendras (KVK).

In view of the encouraging results of the Jute ICare pilot project, a joint meeting was held on March 22, 2017 by Minister of Textiles and Minister of Agriculture for extending the reach of Jute I-Care programme through the State Agriculture Extension machinery.

Representatives from State Governments, Agricultural Research Agencies, National Jute Board, Jute Corporation of India etc., participated in the meeting.

States have also been requested to supply farm implements under the Sub-mission in Agricultural Mission (SMAM) and construct Retting Tanks under MGNREGS and RKVY.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on May 12, 2017 by National Jute Board, Ministry of Textiles with National Seeds Corporation and Jute Corporation of India for supplying certified Jute seeds of a new variety to Jute Farmers -- 800 MT for Year 2018; and 1500 MT for Year 2019. There will be an enhancement of availability of certified seeds by 60% in 2018 and 87.5% in 2019.

Jute harvesting started from 2nd week of July and will continue up to August 2017. It has been reported that the average height of the jute plant under the project is 10 to 13 feet (against the normal height of 9 feet). The JR 204 seed variety is thus found to be very promising and productive to the farmers, said the Ministry of Textiles.

The number of farmers who registered during the Year 2017 under the project had increased by 147% approximately; that is, 1,03,122 farmers were registered against 41,616 farmers last year.

The area covered under the project for 2017 is approximately 70,328 hectares covering 26 Blocks in 6 jute growing states-- an increase of 167% as compared to 2016.

To support the jute farmers, Krishi Melas are being and the next series of Krishi Melas will be taking place in October-November, 2017.

The Ministry has also approved the plans for undertaking Front Line Demonstrations by CRIJAF and National Institute of Research in Jute and Allied Fibres (NIRJAFT) in coordination with NJB