Farmers in Nagaon District, Assam, were photographed extracting fibres from decomposed jute plants on 16 September 2026, showcasing the labour intensive retting process central to northeastern India's rural jute economy.
A farmer in Nagaon District, Assam, manually strips fibre strands from decomposed jute stalks on 16 September 2026 — a traditional retting technique that separates usable fibre from the plant's woody core.
In Nagaon District, Assam, a farmer pulls long fibre strands from water retted jute plants on 16 September 2026, reflecting the district's role as one of India's key jute growing zones in the country's northeast.
A farmer spreads freshly retted jute plants to dry in Nagaon District, Assam, on 16 September 2026. Drying is a critical step before fibre stripping, as excess moisture can degrade fibre quality and reduce market value.
Jute plants laid out to dry in Nagaon District, Assam, on 16 September 2026 signal the peak of the annual harvest cycle — a season that sustains thousands of rural farming households across northeastern India's flood plain belt.