What it is
Bast fibre stripped from retted jute (and mesta) stalks. Jute mills spin it into yarn for sacking, hessian and diversified products such as bags and wall hangings.
White (Corchorus capsularis) and tossa (Corchorus olitorius) juteMestaGraded by colour, strength, root content and defects
Where India produces it
- West BengalNorth 24 Parganas
Largest jute-growing state; houses 89 of India's 120 composite jute mills (December 2025).
- Bihar
Second in raw jute cultivation after West Bengal.
- Assam
Third in raw jute cultivation.
- Odisha
Raw jute grower.
- Jharkhand
Raw jute grower.
Where imports come from
Low. India is the largest raw jute producer; imports come almost entirely from Bangladesh (US$ 44.60 million of US$ 44.80 million in 2025-26).
- Bangladesh — US$ 44.6 million of imports under HS 5303 in 2025-26.
- Mexico — US$ 0.17 million of imports under HS 5303 in 2025-26.
Rules before you buy or sell
- MSP for raw jute is ₹5,925 per quintal for 2026-27; the Jute Corporation of India buys at MSP.
- Registration of raw jute traders, importers and jute mills with the Office of the Jute Commissioner is fully digital, and their returns are filed online.
- Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act: 100% of foodgrains and 20% of sugar must be packed in jute bags.
Storage and handling
Store bales in a dry, covered godown; jute is combustible and loses quality if it gets wet.
Businesses that use it
Gunny (Jute) Bag Making →Printed Jute Bag Making →Jute Rope Wholesale Trading →Jute Wall Hanging Making →