Sahibganj (Jharkhand) : Farmers of Jharkhand's Sahibganj district are now shifting to jute cultivation because of favourable climatic conditions and a growing demand for jute products.

Mostly used for making bags and other sundry items, jute is also in demand in the carpet industry due to its fine quality. Farmers said the government should take steps to establish a factory in the vicinity so that the demand for raw products goes up.

"We do not get customers to sell the jute. If we have some company here we would have got some good money and it would be of great help," said Iftikhar Alam, a jute farmer.

Farmers sell raw jute in Kolkata.

Kiran Meri Kander, an agriculture scientist at the Farm Science Centre at Sahibganj, said that two districts of Jharkhand, Pakur and Sahibganj had favourable climatic conditions to grow jute in raw form.

"For jute mainly warm and humid climate is required and temperature should be 24 to 35 degree centigrade. It will grow well at the optimum temperature of 34 degree centigrade," said Kander. Raw jute production in India stood at 10.49 million bales in 2009/10 against 10.25 million bales in the previous year.