Report January 2026

Monthly analysis has been compiled since 2016, gathered from internal sources together with data from the National Jute Laboratory (BD), Bangladesh [national] Jute Mills Corporation, Jute Commissioner of India, University of Kolkata, The Daily Star (BD), Dhaka Tribune (BD), commercial industry reports and others.

Prognosis for jute supply is a serious concern. The October 2023 Bangladesh government single-use plastic ban contributed to significant local demand resulting in price increases. At the same time global interest in eco-friendly bags and biodegradable jute fibre in mouldings has risen rapidly. This led to an absence of 2024 carryover stock, encouraging illegal hoarding so raw exports are government restricted.

Demand is running at 9.1 million bales. 2025 season production only reached 6.5 million bales. Mills face severe challenges due to higher costs and limited material availability, causing substantial disruptions. Raw jute prices increased ~37.5% over the past 2 years, and will be felt in all markets, including rope bondage. Best grade material has been snapped up and no more appears available.

Jute rope manufacturers have supply chains commencing with yarn. Larger concerns have the ability to procure 25 tonnes at a time in 40’ containers, commonly direct from the mills. Challenges to those mills led to several going bankrupt, and alternatives have to be found in a precarious market. Risks are high, and as encountered over the years can lead to substandard quality and supply – precisely why we invested in our own mill.

Smaller operators have the additional risk of sourcing via agents, and again, we’ve regularly seen failures in tolerances, quality, coatings, etc. with the added ignominy of high agent mark-ups. To get exactly what you demand requires a great deal of luck. Consistency, as seen in available ropes has historically been nothing more than myth.

Due to the highest ever current raw material prices, doubled since 2019, many mills haven’t stocked for the 2026 season. If sourcing via middle agents, each stage will add mark-up, and it always trickles down to the end customer. Supplier options are to pay more for similar quality, substantially drop said quality, or find a balance between.

We didn’t chance relying on luck, but instead built a solid supply chain, cutting out all middle agents. We developed direct relationships with the farmers and their cooperative Kutcha agents. We took the plunge, paid the going rate and secured more than enough premium quality raw jute for the 2026 season, filling our storage sheds. We now only use our own state-of-the-art yarn mill, developed and designed our own KI-grade yarn specific for Shibari Asanawa, and produce in our own rope factory. Eliminating all the steps between has seen our higher raw material price increases somewhat mitigated without interlopers to profit.

Control of the entire chain has enabled us to identify and source best raw material, control quality, batch and spin KI yarn with both greater strength and compressibility to produce durable, medium-loose lay rope. The fruits of this 16 year research and development will very soon become available.