Assam’s jute revival: the fibre that built the plains comes back

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.