Jute

The jute plant belongs to the Corchorus genus and is primarily found in (sub)tropical regions. Jute fiber is a shiny fiber from one of two East Indian plants, Corchorus olitorius or Corchorus capsularis, and is primarily cultivated in India and Bangladesh.

Jute can be grown in less than six months and has a high yield. The jute fiber comes from the stem of the jute plant. By immersing the stem in running water for up to a month—retting—the stem softens, allowing the bast fibers to be removed from the stems.

Once the fibres have been washed, they are left to dry for a number of days, after which processing into end products can begin.