According to Paul M. Icamina of The Sunday Times, beyond textiles, natural fibers are highly valued for a myriad of applications.
The Philippines has some 30 useful fiber crops of which abaca, ramie, coconut coir, salago, maguey, buntal, raffia, kapok, piña, banana, kozo, kenaf and silk, have commercial applications.
About 143,585 hectares are currently planted to fiber crops; 94.7 percent (135,958 has.) are planted to abaca. The rest is planted to ramie, salago, buri, maguey, mulberry and other fiber crops.
Fiber production in 2005 was 79,131 metric tons; 73,875 tons (93 percent) came from abaca. That was worth PhP 2.65 billion, a steep increase over PhP 2 billion in 2004; abaca accounted for PhP 2.61 billion (98 percent).
High abaca demand caused fiber exports to rise to PhP 4.99 billion that year, compared to PhP 4.35 billion in 2004.
Abaca is plagued by low farm income productivity due to pests and diseases; inconsistent fiber quality; limited markets; and relatively high prices. The country’s dominance is threatened by Indonesia’s massive abaca plantations and the expansion of abaca farms in Ecuador.
Maguey is used in cordage, ropes, twines, carpets, wall coverings, crafts and handmade paper. The Philippines could produce maguey liquor —which is what Mexican tequila is.
Planted on 503.9 has., mostly in Bohol, maguey has declined because of inefficient fiber extraction, dwindling fiber supply due to old, sparsely planted or abandoned plantations. It takes four years from planting to harvesting while production returns are low.
Piña is used for barong, pañuelos, gowns, handkerchiefs, table linens, table napkins, table cloth, pillow cases, fans and other household items.
Piña fiber and cloth production, mostly from Aklan, suffered during Typhoon Frank last year. With handlooms and materials all damaged, production of pure piña and piña seda cloth dropped by 64 percent.
Still, liniwan piña fiber is priced at PhP 1,380 per kilogram while bastos piña fetch PhP 1,240/kg for loose and PhP 5,750/kg for knotted.
The high price limits its market while lack of planting materials and piña leaves results in low fiber supply. Low capital prevents the expansion of plantations.
Demand for coconut coir is improving, with local purchases from upholstery and mattress makers as well as manufacturers of panel board, organic compost, vehicle upholstery, insulator pads against erosion. Coir is also a biodegradable cover for soil undergoing revegetation.
Sourcing husks remains a problem due to high freight cost, dearth of drying facilities and lack of high- density baling press.
Raffia can replace cord, grass, leaves, fabric, ribbon, stuffing, floral string and even paper. Hats, mats, baskets, bags and twine are also made from raffia. Last year, because of increased demand, raffia production in Quezon surpassed the output of Aklan, the major producer.
Salago, farmed in Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental, is used for handmade, stencil and currency paper; Japanese kimono and sliding door; as well as components for radio and computers. Production fluctuates due to a two-year harvesting cycle but export earnings average US$531,498 per year. Taiwan is the biggest buyer while China is the newest market.
Increasing demand for buntal means increased production in Bohol, Quezon, Marinduque and Palawan.
Icamina is recommending that the government needs to do more to support the natural fiber business and industry. It should not be complacent—other countries are building themselves up to compete with the Philippines.
The Philippines has some 30 useful fiber crops of which abaca, ramie, coconut coir, salago, maguey, buntal, raffia, kapok, piña, banana, kozo, kenaf and silk, have commercial applications.
About 143,585 hectares are currently planted to fiber crops; 94.7 percent (135,958 has.) are planted to abaca. The rest is planted to ramie, salago, buri, maguey, mulberry and other fiber crops.
Fiber production in 2005 was 79,131 metric tons; 73,875 tons (93 percent) came from abaca. That was worth PhP 2.65 billion, a steep increase over PhP 2 billion in 2004; abaca accounted for PhP 2.61 billion (98 percent).
High abaca demand caused fiber exports to rise to PhP 4.99 billion that year, compared to PhP 4.35 billion in 2004.
Abaca is plagued by low farm income productivity due to pests and diseases; inconsistent fiber quality; limited markets; and relatively high prices. The country’s dominance is threatened by Indonesia’s massive abaca plantations and the expansion of abaca farms in Ecuador.
Maguey is used in cordage, ropes, twines, carpets, wall coverings, crafts and handmade paper. The Philippines could produce maguey liquor —which is what Mexican tequila is.
Planted on 503.9 has., mostly in Bohol, maguey has declined because of inefficient fiber extraction, dwindling fiber supply due to old, sparsely planted or abandoned plantations. It takes four years from planting to harvesting while production returns are low.
Piña is used for barong, pañuelos, gowns, handkerchiefs, table linens, table napkins, table cloth, pillow cases, fans and other household items.
Piña fiber and cloth production, mostly from Aklan, suffered during Typhoon Frank last year. With handlooms and materials all damaged, production of pure piña and piña seda cloth dropped by 64 percent.
Still, liniwan piña fiber is priced at PhP 1,380 per kilogram while bastos piña fetch PhP 1,240/kg for loose and PhP 5,750/kg for knotted.
The high price limits its market while lack of planting materials and piña leaves results in low fiber supply. Low capital prevents the expansion of plantations.
Demand for coconut coir is improving, with local purchases from upholstery and mattress makers as well as manufacturers of panel board, organic compost, vehicle upholstery, insulator pads against erosion. Coir is also a biodegradable cover for soil undergoing revegetation.
Sourcing husks remains a problem due to high freight cost, dearth of drying facilities and lack of high- density baling press.
Raffia can replace cord, grass, leaves, fabric, ribbon, stuffing, floral string and even paper. Hats, mats, baskets, bags and twine are also made from raffia. Last year, because of increased demand, raffia production in Quezon surpassed the output of Aklan, the major producer.
Salago, farmed in Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental, is used for handmade, stencil and currency paper; Japanese kimono and sliding door; as well as components for radio and computers. Production fluctuates due to a two-year harvesting cycle but export earnings average US$531,498 per year. Taiwan is the biggest buyer while China is the newest market.
Increasing demand for buntal means increased production in Bohol, Quezon, Marinduque and Palawan.
Icamina is recommending that the government needs to do more to support the natural fiber business and industry. It should not be complacent—other countries are building themselves up to compete with the Philippines.
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