The Biobrio 12(3&4), 2025

Analysis of the socio-economic impact of jute cultivation on rural livelihoods in Pakur District, Jharkhand

Bharti Kumari & Amar Das

ABSTRACT:

Jute (Corchorus spp.) remains a vital cash crop for smallholder farmers in eastern India, yet empirical evidence on its socio-economic contribution at district level remains limited. This study investigates the socio-economic impact of jute cultivation on rural livelihoods in Pakur district, Jharkhand, one of the two jute-growing districts in the state. Primary data were collected through field surveys across five blocks, covering 8,510 jute-growing households. Results revealed that jute is cultivated over 6,510 ha with an annual production of 16,275 tons, predominantly by marginal farmers (68%) holding <1 ha land. Corchorus olitorius variety JRO-204 occupied 45% of the cultivated area, yielding 28.5 q/ha. Jute contributed 30-42% of total household income, with the highest contribution observed among families engaged in Self-Help Group (SHG)-based jute product enterprises. Adoption of improved cultivation and retting practices remained low (22-42%), despite their demonstrated potential to increase fibre yield by 29% and tensile strength by 20%. SHGs involving 996 members (96% women) generated annual sales of 36.71 lakh through diversified jute products. The study concludes that jute cultivation significantly supports rural livelihoods in Pakur district, and scaling improved practices alongside SHG-based enterprise development offers a sustainable pathway for economic strengthening.

Keywords:    

Jute cultivation; Corchorus olitorius; rural livelihoods; socio-economic impact; Self-Help Groups; Pakur district; fibre quality; smallholder farmers

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