Jute is a natural fibre obtained from the bark of the jute plant. It is a long, soft, 100 percent bio-degradable vegetable fibre used to make products such as jute bags. It is mainly grown in south Asia and it was originally called by its Bengali name 'Pat' (Patta in Sanskrit) which means a braid of hair. Jute has been used for centuries for ropes and cordage for sea vessels. By the mid 18th century new technologies emerged and jute fibre was spun into better quality yarn and woven to make jute cloth.