THE GOLDEN FIBER
Jute is one of the most affordable natural fibers jute fibers are composed primarily of the plant materials cellulose and lignin. The industrial term for jute fiber is raw jute.The fibers are off-white to brown ,and 1-4 metres (3-13 feet) long. jute is also called “The golden fiber” for its color and high cash value. Jute needs a plain alluvial soil and standing water.The suitable climate for growing jute (warm and wet) is offered by the monsoon climate, during the monsoon. Temperatures from 20’c to 40’c and relative humidity of 70%-80%Are favourable for successful cultivation .jute requires 5-8 cm of rainfallWeekly, and more during the sowing time. . The jute fiber comes from the stem and ribbon (outer skin) of the jute plant. The fibers are first extracted by retting. The retting process consists of bundling jute stems together and immersing them in slow running water. There are two types of retting: stem and ribbon. After the retting process, stripping begins; women and children usually do this job. In the stripping process, non-fibrous matter is scraped off, then the workers dig in and grab the fibers from within the jute stem.
Known as the ‘golden fibre’ jute is one of the longest and most used natural fibre for various textile applications.
It thrives in tropical lowland areas with humidity of 60% to 90%. Jute is a rain-fed crop with little need for fertilizer or pesticides. Yields are about 2 tonnes of dry jute fibre per hectare. Jute is one of the most affordable natural fibres and considered second only to cotton in amount produced and variety of uses of vegetable fibres.
The fibre
Jute is long, soft and shiny, with a length of 1 to 4 m and a diameter of from 17 to 20 microns. Jute fibres are composed primarily of the plant materials cellulose (major component of plant fibre) and lignin (major components of wood fibre). The fibres can be extracted by either biological or chemical retting processes. Given the expense of using chemicals to strip the fibre from the stem biological processes are more widely practices.
Biological retting can be done by either by stack, steep and ribbon processes which involve different techniques of bundling jute stems together and soaking in water to help separate the fibres from the stem before stripping. After the retting process, stripping begins. In the stripping process, non-fibrous matter is scraped off, leaving the fibres to be pulled out from within the stem.
Jute fibre is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable and thus environmentally friendly. A hectare of jute plants consumes about 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide and releases 11 tonnes of oxygen. Cultivating jute in crop rotations enriches the fertility of the soil for the next crop. Jute also does not generate toxic gases when burnt.
Uses of Jute
Jute is a versatile fibre. During the Industrial Revolution, jute yarn largely replaced flax and hemp fibres in sackcloth. Today, sacking still makes up the bulk of manufactured jute products. A key feature of jute is its ability to be used either independently or blended with a range of other fibres and materials. While jute is being replaced by synthetic materials in many of these uses, some take advantage of jute's biodegradable nature, where synthetics would be unsuitable. Examples of such uses include containers for planting young trees, geotextiles for soil and erosion control where application is designed to break down after sometime and no removal required.
Advantages of jute include good insulating and antistatic properties, as well as having low thermal conductivity and moderate moisture retention.
Textiles
The major manufactured products from jute fibre are: Yarn and twine, sacking, hessian, carpet backing cloth and as well as for other textile blends. It has high tensile strength, low extensibility, and ensures better breathability of fabrics. The fibres are woven into curtains, chair coverings, carpets and area rugs and are also often blended with other fibres, both synthetic and natural. The finest threads can be separated out and made into imitation silk.
Jute can also be blended with wool. By treating jute with caustic soda, crimp, softness, pliability, and appearance is improved, aiding in its ability to be spun with wool.
Packaging
Jute is extensively used for sacking for agriculture goods as well as being used increasingly in rigid packaging and reinforced plastic and is replacing wood in pulp and paper.
By-products
Diversified by-products from jute include its use in cosmetics, medicine, paints, and other products. Jute sticks are used as fuelling and fencing materials in the rural areas of jute producing countries. These are good substitute for forest wood and bamboo for production of particle boards, pulp and paper.
Producers
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| Jute plant lined up to dry in rural Bangladesh |
Production and trade
Jute production fluctuates, influenced by weather conditions and prices. Annual output in the last decade ranges from 2.5 to 3.2 million tonnes, on a par with wool. India and Bangladesh account for about 60% and 30%, respectively, of the world’s production., Bangladesh exports nearly 40% as raw fibre, and about 50% as manufactured items. India exports nearly 200 000 tonnes of jute products, the remainder being consumed
domestically.
Market Outlook
As the demand for natural fibre blends increases, the demand for jute and other natural fibres that can be blended with cotton is expected to increase. Jute’s profile in the textile industry has expanded beyond traditional applications and is being used in various higher value textiles for furnishings as well as in composites particularly as a wood fibre. Although currently diversified jute products account for a small percentage of total consumption this segment could expand rapidly with further investment in resources and expertise. In terms of conservation agriculture, jute also has a set role and is now accepted as an environmental, cost effective material for various soil applications.
Jute Developments
Several projects are being carried out in Bangladesh by the Common Fund for
Commodities (CFC) to improve the capacity of jute producers and support industry diversification.
Jute Reinforced Polyolefines for Industrial Applications, Phase II: Material Optimization and Process Up-Scaling for Commercialization The project aims at developing and industrially testing jute fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites for various uses to replace glass fibre and other products. Materials optimization and process up-scaling is expected to promote investment and greater use of jute fibre in various industries thereby opening up new market niches for jute fibre.
Entrepreneurship Development in Diversified Jute Products
The project involves poor women and other rural and urban unemployed and
underemployed: hence significant alleviation of poverty is expected from the project. The project pilots the application of new physico-chemical treatments for jute dyeing, bleaching and proofing, and the integrated production of value-added jute blended products through small-scale spinning and weaving employing small-scale hand looms and power looms and the manufacturing of home textiles. Model chemical treatment plants in India and Bangladesh are used to demonstrate the treatment of chemical effluent to minimize the polluting effects of dyes and other chemical applications.
Other projects have been commissioned to examine the markets for geo-textile applications and projects to improve efficiency of production for various jute uses. Together these projects build capacity in jute processing and help position the fibre more strongly on international markets and increase awareness of the fibres potential.
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| Jute Extraction |
Who produces it?
The jute plant flourishes in climatic conditions of Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. These are world’s main jute producers. Small amounts of jute are produced for example in Myanmar, Nepal and Brazil. Generally jute crop production takes place in micro and small businesses. In India and Bangladesh it is estimated that some 4 million farmers earn their living – and support 20 million dependents – from jute cultivation, while hundreds of thousands work in the jute manufacturing sector.
How is it produced?
The plant stem is cut close to the ground level and left in the field to defoliate. The stems are retted in gently flowing water over a period of one to three weeks. Retting process is complete when the outer fiber layers of the stem are easily separated from the inner woody core. The fiber is stripped by hand from the stem. Then washed and dried and made ready for sale.
The jute sector is labour intensive with limited mechanization. Generally very small amounts of inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides are used.
Rocket Dog Ballet Flats: The fibers of the jute plant are extracted in a process called “retting” in which the stems of the jute plants are bound together and immersing them in running water. This loosens the plant material, leaving on the fibers behind.
The fibers are then woven into cloth, some for industrial purposes like bailing cotton, and others are used for things like curtains, clothing and even in footwear! Jute cloth is biodegradable, strong, durable and even UV resistant and makes a great substitute for more expensive cotton.
In fact, three of our favorites:
Rafters –
Rafters use jute in their outsoles, mixed in with other sustainable materials like cork to reduce the amount of rubber, which is harder to harvest and produce naturally, that needs to be used in the shoe. The strength and natural properties of jute make it a great choice for creating stronger, more durable active sandals.
Rocket Dog –
The Rocket Dog Eco Luv line uses Jute fiber in several applications to bring you a full range of super cute, eco friendly shoes From comfy sneakers and simple ballet flats to sexy wedges, the makers of Rocket Dog have managed to make eco-friendly into serious eco-chic.
Simple Shoes – Simple shoes are one of the best known makers of sustainable footwear. They use everything from organic cotton to cork and several pairs of their super cute shoes also incorporate durable and versatile jute!
Jute is used to make rope, twine, curtains, sacks, hessian cloth or carpets and also in landscaping projects, in order to prevent erosion while still permitting natural vegetation to grow. This is accomplished by spinning the fiber into a coarse thread. Despite the fact that jute tends to be rough in texture, fine threads of it are sometimes used to create imitation silk.
The thread created from jute is quite strong. It has exceptional insulating properties, low thermal conductivity, and antistatic characteristics. There are several applications for which jute is still used instead of synthetic fibers. These applications are mostly limited to those that require the use of a material capable of biodegrading.
Taking just four to six months to grow to maturity, jute can be harvested much more quickly than trees. Many hope to be able to use jute in order to slow down or prevent deforestation. The plant prefers climates that are both warm and humid, with temperature ranging from 68 to 104°F (20 to 40°C) and a relative humidity of 70-80%. It also requires about two to three inches (5 to 8 cm) of rainfall per week. India, China and certain areas of Latin America are large producer of jute.
Jute Producing Countries
Statistics About Jute
Jute production in top jute producing
countries in 2005 (Source: FAO)
RANK
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Countries
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Production
(Int $1000)Footnote
|
Production
(MT) Footnote
|
1
|
708,776 C
|
1,900,000 F
|
|
2
|
298,432 C
|
800,000 F
|
|
3
|
China
|
25,367 C
|
68,000 F
|
4
|
9,762 C
|
26,169 F
|
|
5
|
7,461 C
|
20,000 F
|
|
6
|
6,588 C
|
17,661
|
|
7
|
5,596 C
|
15,000 F
|
|
8
|
1,865 C
|
5,000 F
|
|
9
|
1,250 C
|
3,350 F
|
|
10
|
821 C
|
2,200 F
|
|
11
|
658 C
|
1,765
|
|
12
|
560 C
|
1,500 F
|
|
13
|
242 C
|
650 F
|
|
14
|
131 C
|
350 F
|
|
15
|
80 C
|
215 F
|
|
16
|
37 C
|
100 F
|
|
17
|
8 C
|
22 F
|
No symbol = official figure
F = FAO estimate * = Unofficial figure
C = Calculated figure
Production in Int $1000 have been calculated based
on 1999-2001 international prices
Source: FAOSTAT Database
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