Question

Describe briefly the retting of jute with the help of the pictures given below.

Answer 1

Retting of jute is the essential biochemical process that separates commercial bark fibres from the hard inner woody stalk through controlled microbial decomposition.

The following are the step-by-step process of jute retting:

1. Bundling and Submersion: Harvested jute stalks are tied into small bundles and taken to slow-moving or stagnant water sources like ponds, streams, or specialized tanks.
2. Microbial Decomposition: The bundles are completely submerged in water for 2 to 3 weeks. High water temperatures accelerate bacterial growth, which decompose the natural gums and pectins that hold the outer fibre to the inner stem.
3. Fibre Stripping: Once the stalks soften sufficiently, farmers stand in the water to manually peel the bark and strip the long, golden bast fibres from the core wood.
4. Washing and Sun Drying: The extracted strands are thoroughly rinsed in clean water to clear residues and then hung over bamboo structures to dry completely in the sun before being pressed into commercial bales.