Potentials of abaca
By Henrylito D. Tacio
Sun Star Davao
ABACA, more popularly known the world over as Manila hemp, is one of the country's "endemic treasures," earning about P400 million a year.
"Our abaca is not only a source of income to many Filipino abaca farmers and strippers but more importantly, it is also unique source of competitive advantage for local manufacturers and exporters," says the National Abaca Research Center based in Baybay, Leyte.
At present, about 136,000 hectares are planted to abaca in various parts of the country, according to Cecilia Gloria J. Soriano, administrator of the Department of Agriculture- Fiber Industry Development Authority (DA-Fida).
Statistics available from the Fida reports that some 82,000 farmers live out of abaca, producing about 70,000 metric tons of fibers a year. From this harvest, 24 percent is exported in raw form and the rest are locally processed.
Philippine abaca accounts for 85 percent of the global production. The remaining 15 percent comes from Ecuador, the world's only other commercial producer of abaca fiber. These two countries contribute only one-sixth of the total world demand of 600,000 metric tons peryear.
The abaca industry is expected to continue making a stronghold in both the domestic and international markets, according to business analysts. In the last few years, world demand of abaca has increased continuously.
The world demand is about more than 600,000 tons per year. Currently, the suppliers can only provide one-sixth of the total demand. Abaca fiber has traditionally been used for cordage due to its durability, high strength, and resistance to salt-water decomposition.
Considered the strongest of natural fibers, it is three times stronger than cotton. It is used in the production of a wide variety of specialty papers requiring high strength.
Thin-tissue abaca fibers are used in the manufacture of lens tissue, tea bags, filter paper, carbonizing tissue, sausage skin or meat casing, base paper and cigarette paper.
Because of its strength and unusual durability, the fibers are also used in making currency papers and weatherproof bristols, among others.
It is also extensively used in the production of industrial papers -- power cable papers, insulating boards for motors, vacuum cleaner bags, tape papers, absorbent saturating papers (used for gasket work), high strength rope, sack papers, and abrasive base paper.
The cottage industry makes abaca into footwear, placemats, doormats, curtains, wall overlap and decors, coasters, bags, rugs, and many other useful items.
The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) identifies United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, and South Korea as the major consumers of abaca fiber.
"The needs of these countries are predicted to surge," says the United Nations agriculture agency.
For abaca pulp, the major international markets are Germany, Taiwan, Belgium, Korea, France, China and United Kingdom. The United States, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Canada import abaca cordage.
Fiber crafts markets are Korea, Japan, Australia, Canada, the United
States, and Europe. There are several reasons for the current demand of abaca in the world market. For one, it is the result of the expanding market for specialty papers for food packaging as in tea bags and meat casings, filter papers, non-wovens and disposables.
There is also a growing demand to conserve forest resources and to protect the environment from problems posed by non-biodegradable materials, particularly plastics, contributed to the growing demand for natural fibers like abaca.
Another reason is the development of new uses for abaca such as textile materials for the production of "pinukpok" or as blending material, with silk, piña or polyester, in the production of high-end fabrics.
More importantly, there is a growing demand for handmade paper as art media, photo frames, albums, stationery, flowers, all purpose cards and decorative.
Recently, the potentials of local abaca in the world market was considerably boosted by a research project which initially found that its fiber can be used in the outer cover of the spare wheel compartment of the Mercedes Benz A-class.
The "Abaca Public-Private Partnership Program in the Philippines: Application of Abaca Fiber in the Automotive Industry" is being undertaken by Daimler Chrysler in collaboration with the German Development Agency.
According to Cecilia Gloria J. Soriano, administrator of the Department of Agriculture- Fiber Industry Development Authority (DA-Fida), using abaca instead of fiberglass in the manufacture of carparts would bring energy savings of 60 percent and would significantly reduce carbon dioxide emission.
For this technology, the German car company reportedly would need
some 70,000 tons of abaca fiber a year. For the beauty conscious, here's good news. Unknown to many, the enzyme of abaca is now being widely used in cosmetics, particularly in the production of organic, hand-crafted therapeutic skin care products such as soap and beauty cream.
Abaca soap, which has anti-ageing and therapeutic properties, is now
marketed in the United States, Japan, and even Europe, Soriano reported.
Abaca is obtained from a tree-like plantain or banana plant, known in the science world as "Musa textiles." It is indigenous to the Philippines but is also found in Borneo, Indonesia and Central America.
Abaca is grown practically all over the Philippines. However, the major producing provinces are Catanduanes, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Davao Oriental, Northern Samar, Sorsogon, Sulu, Davao del Sur, and Surigao del Sur.
The fibers from Leyte and Southern Leyte are of the best quality in the Philippines. Most abaca plantations in the country suffered heavy infestations in early 1990's, which destroyed almost 50 percent to 70 percent of potential harvest and left the plants unproductive until the viruses were neutralized and new disease-free plants were planted.
In the Philippines, the abaca fibers are used for fishing nets, as they are particularly resistant to salt water. Abaca cords can be found aboard almost any marine vessel because of this trait. Manila hemp replaced bark, which was once the primary source of cloth, before the Europeans arrived in the Philippines. It wasn't until 1686 that abaca was known in the western world.__,_._,___
