Jute is a long, soft, and shiny vegetable fiber, often called the “golden fiber.” Harvested from the bark of the Corchorus plant stem, it is the world’s second most important natural fiber commodity after cotton. Composed primarily of cellulose and lignin, jute has high tensile strength, making it suitable for heavy-duty applications. Traditional uses include manufacturing sacking, twine, and burlap (hessian cloth). Its inherent biodegradability and sustainability have increased its relevance in global packaging and textile sectors.
Primary Global Production Centers
The geography of jute cultivation is highly concentrated, with the vast majority of the world’s supply originating in South Asia. The Bengal Delta, a low-lying area formed by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, serves as the global epicenter for this crop. India and Bangladesh dominate the global market, collectively supplying approximately 85% of the world’s raw jute.
Within India, production is heavily focused in the eastern states, particularly West Bengal, Assam, and Bihar. Bangladesh is often the largest global exporter of the raw fiber, known for producing high-quality golden jute in its central and northwestern regions. While other countries like China, Myanmar, and Thailand grow jute, their output is minimal compared to the massive agricultural productivity of the Bengal Delta.
Specific Climate and Soil Requirements
Jute is a tropical rain-fed crop requiring a consistently warm and intensely humid environment. Successful cultivation demands temperatures between 24°C and 37°C (75°F and 99°F) throughout the growing season, coupled with relative humidity levels of 70% to 90%. The plant’s growth cycle necessitates a monsoon climate, providing annual precipitation between 1500 and 2500 millimeters.
Jute requires new gray alluvial soil, which is rich in silt and regularly replenished by river systems. This fertile, well-drained, yet moisture-retentive soil prevents waterlogging while providing necessary nutrients. Furthermore, the later processing phase requires large amounts of standing or slow-moving water, which ties the crop closely to the delta environment.
Cultivation and Fiber Processing
The cultivation process begins with sowing seeds between March and May, timed to coincide with pre-monsoon showers. Jute plants grow quickly, reaching heights of up to 4.5 meters (15 feet) over 120 to 150 days. Harvesting occurs before the flowers go to seed, which yields the longest and finest fibers. Farmers cut the stalks close to the ground and leave them to shed leaves naturally.
The most defining step is retting, where bundled stalks are submerged in clean, slow-moving water for two to three weeks. This soaking allows microorganisms to break down the gummy pectins that bind the fibers to the woody core. Once loosened, the fibers are manually stripped from the stalk in long strands, a process called extraction. The raw fiber is then washed to remove remaining non-fibrous material. Finally, the strands are dried completely in the sun before being graded and baled for market.