Jute is the most versatile natural vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae. Jute is one of the most affordable natural fibres variety of uses of vegetable fibres. Jute fibres are composed primarily of the plant materials cellulose (major component of plant fibre) and lignin (major components of wood fibre). It is thus a ligno-cellulosic fibre that is partially a textile fibre and partially wood. It falls into the bast fibre category (fibre collected from bast or skin of the plant) along with kenaf, industrial hemp, flax (linen), ramie, etc. The industrial term for jute fibre is raw jute. The fibres are off-white to brown, and 1–4 metres (3–12 feet) long.

A consortium of researchers in Bangladesh has successfully decoded the Jute Plant Draft Genome Sequencing. The consortium consisted of Dhaka University (DU), Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI) and a software company DataSoft Systems Bangladesh Ltd. in collaboration with Centre for Chemical Biology, University of Science Malaysia and University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA. On June 16, 2010 Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has disclosed in the parliament that Bangladeshi researchers have successfully done draft jute genome sequencing which will contribute to improving jute fibre. With this Bangladesh becomes one of the few countries in the world and perhaps the only country in the developing world to have successfully sequenced a genome of importance.

    Jute fibre is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable and thus environmentally friendly.

    It is a natural fibre with golden and silky shine and hence called The Golden Fibre.

    It is the cheapest vegetable fibre procured from the bast or skin of the plant's stem.

    It is the second most important vegetable fibre after cotton, in terms of usage, global consumption, production, and availability.

     It has high tensile strength, low extensibility, and ensures better breathability of fabrics. Therefore, jute is very suitable in agricultural commodity bulk packaging.

     It helps to make best quality industrial yarn, fabric, net, and sacks. It is one of the most versatile natural fibres that have been used in raw materials for packaging, textiles, non-textile, construction, and agricultural sectors.

     The best source of jute in the world is the Bengal Delta Plain in the Ganges Delta, most of which is occupied by Bangladesh.

     Advantages of jute include good insulating and antistatic properties, as well as having low thermal conductivity and moderate moisture regain. Other advantages of jute include acoustic insulating properties and manufacture with no skin irritations.

     Jute has the ability to be blended with other fibres, both synthetic and natural, and accepts cellulosic dye classes such as natural, basic, vat, sulfur, reactive, and pigment dyes.

Jute fibre finds its use in the producing as well as in consuming countries in the agricultural, industrial, commercial and domestic fields. Sacking and Hessians (Burlap) constitute the bulk of the manufactured products. Sacking is commonly used as packaging material for various agricultural commodities viz., rice, wheat, vegetables, corn, coffee beans etc. Sacking and Hessian Cloth are also used as packing materials in the cement and fertilizer manufacturing industries (New J.H. 1993). Fine Hessian is used as carpet backing and often made into big bags for packaging other fibres viz. cotton and wool.