Jute retting in Chuadanga

Jute retting process is very important for quality jute fiber. Retting is a process by which fibers get loosened and separated from the woody stalk due to removal of pectinals and other mucilaginous substances. This is usually affected by the combined action of water and micro-organisms.
The tied bundle of jute stalks are stepped in water and weighed down 15-30 cm below the water surface. To weigh down the bundle concrete block, clods of earth, logs, banana plants, bamboo crates are used. A covering material like mud, water hyacinth or weed is used.

According to the opinion of the Agriculturists Jute bundle for retting should not be weighed down with banana plants and covered with mud or clods of earth. Clods of earth as a covering agent or weighing material produce dark fiber of low value.
It is observed that a bad practice prevails everywhere in Chuadanga Districtin retting process. Farmers of this area habitually use clods of earth for covering and weighing material. Iron in the clod reacts with the mucilage causing dark colored fiber.
Another impact of this practice is that clods are deposited in the bottom of rivers-canals or sources of water creating a rise of the bottom. Repeated happenings of this activities results filling up rivers, canals or other sources permanently causing death of this sources. Roaming in the Chuadanga district farmers found everywhere using this process.
Now is the high time to come forward the people of the locality and peoples representative to change the habit of the farmers. Otherwise the sources of water especially rivers and canals will die in course of time.

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• jute
• retting
• chuadanga
• cultivation
• process
• jashim20
• river
• die
• dead
• mucilage
• react
• stepped
• weighing
• material
• clod
• earth