Six wild fungal strains, Trichoderma uiride, T. harzianum, Gliocladium uirens, Aspergillus terreus, A. niger and Tiarosporelfa phaseolina, isolated from decomposedjute stacks and diseasedjute stem, were tested for their cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic activities and compared with T. reesei MCG 77. Filter paper cellulase production by all these wild strains were lower than those produced by T. reesei while some strains (T. uiride, T. harzianum and G. uirens) possessed carboxymethyl cellulase, β-glucosidase,xylanase and β-xylosidase activities comparable to T. reesei. A. teweus and A. niger produced 3.2 and 1.2 times respectiveiy,greater β-glucosidase activity compared to T.reesei when grown on microcrystallinecellulose. © 1989 Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.