I-CARE, short for Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise, supports small and marginal jute farmers with scientific pre and post harvesting methods. National Jute Board runs this scheme under Ministry of Textiles. Certified seeds, mechanical tools, microbial retting agents and retting pond support come together to improve fibre quality and farmer income.
Ministry of Textiles confirmed continued implementation of Jute-ICARE in March 2026. Since 2015-16, the scheme has supported around 3 lakh farmers over 1.25 lakh hectares. A National Productivity Council study reports that the scheme raises farmer income by about ₹10,000 per hectare, improves productivity by 15% and lifts raw jute quality by one grade.
Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise (I-CARE)
Jute Corporation of India (JCI) runs the scheme on the ground with research support from ICAR-CRIJAF and ICAR-NINFET. Farmers register through local societies, co-operatives, farmers' clubs and Primary Agricultural Credit Societies. The focus stays on line sowing, weeding and scientific retting to cut production cost and raise fibre grade.
Jute-ICARE now uses geospatial crop surveillance with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of ISRO. A Jute Crop Information System (JCIS) and a PATSAN module help estimate jute area, production and productivity across India. This data supports better planning and field monitoring during the season.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scheme Name | Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise (I-CARE) |
| Level | Central Government |
| Main Ministry | Ministry of Textiles |
| Implementing Body | Jute Corporation of India with ICAR-CRIJAF and ICAR-NINFET |
| Eligible People | Small and marginal jute farmers |
| Benefit Type | Subsidised seeds, machinery, retting support, pond grant |
| Application Mode | Offline through local societies and co-operatives |
| Official Website | texmin.gov.in (Ministry of Textiles) |
Benefits
I-CARE provides a mix of inputs and training to eligible jute farmers. Main benefits are given below.
- Subsidised Seeds: Certified high yielding jute seeds are given at 50% subsidy. National Seed Corporation and ICAR-CRIJAF supply these seeds.
- Scientific Cultivation: Field demonstrations and mechanical tools like multi-row seed drills and weeders cut manual weeding cost by about 35%.
- Advanced Retting: Free microbial consortiums such as CRIJAF-SONA and NINFET-SATHI improve fibre grade and reduce retting time from 18 days to about 12 days.
- Retting Pond Support: In-situ retting ponds can be built under schemes like MGNREGA and PMKSY. A one-time maintenance grant of ₹5,000 is paid through DBT after field verification.
- Training: Farmers get training, technical awareness sessions and regular SMS or voice advisories on crop care.
Eligibility
To get I-CARE benefits, a farmer must meet the following conditions.
- Must be a small or marginal jute grower.
- Must register with Jute Corporation of India through local farmers' societies, co-operatives or Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
- Must give written consent for use of land to build a retting pond.
- Must agree to shift from traditional stem retting to scientific microbial retting.
Application Process
Registration is offline and goes through local agencies. Steps are given below.
STEP 1 - Contact the local farmers' society, Primary Agricultural Credit Society or farmers' club. Fill the registration and feedback forms. These agencies send the farmer's details to Jute Corporation of India.
STEP 2 - For the retting pond benefit, give formal land consent to the field supervisor. Also share bank account details so the ₹5,000 maintenance grant can be credited through DBT.
STEP 3 - Attend training on using seed drills and microbial supplies after registration.
STEP 4 - After the pond is built, field officials visit the site. They record photos and GPS coordinates. Once verified, the maintenance grant is released through DBT.
Documents
Following documents are required at different stages of the scheme.
- Registration stage: Farmer registration form kept by Jute Corporation of India.
- Infrastructure stage: Formal land consent form for retting pond construction.
- Payment stage: Valid bank account details for DBT payment.
- Verification stage: Photos and GPS coordinates of the completed pond submitted by field officials.
Readers can also check Jute Diversification Scheme and Jute Raw Material Bank Scheme for other jute related support.
References
PIB - State Agriculture Conference on Jute (March 2026)
PIB - NRSC-ISRO, NJB, JCI Tripartite MoU
Ministry of Textiles official website
FAQ's
How is the ₹5,000 maintenance grant paid?
It is transferred directly to the verified bank account through DBT after the retting pond is completed and checked by officials.
Why use certified seeds instead of saved seeds?
Certified high yielding seeds give better plant health, higher fibre quality and 10% to 15% more yield than traditional seeds.
How does microbial consortium help in jute processing?
Products like CRIJAF-SONA or NINFET-SATHI speed up retting, cutting it to 12 to 14 days and improving fibre quality by at least one grade.
Can mechanical tools help with weeding?
Yes. The scheme gives demonstrations of multi-row seed drills and single-wheel weeders, which can reduce weeding cost by about 35%.
What support is available if a crop faces disease?
Contact local field staff. They record the issue and share photos with ICAR-CRIJAF scientists for crop protection advice.
Is Jute-ICARE still running in 2026?
Yes. Ministry of Textiles confirmed continued implementation of the scheme in March 2026, with seed distribution, machinery and field demonstrations.