Africa-Press – Tanzania. TANZANIA Sisal Board (TSB) plans to increase production to 120,000 tonnes by 2025 from 37,000 tonnes currently to take advantage of the growing demand for the crop.
This was said by the TSB Ag Director General, Saddy Kambona recently in an interview with the ‘Daily News’ about the production of sisal crops in the country as well as its market.
Mr Kambona said the annual production of sisal in the country is 37,000 tonnes but annual demand is higher than production.
He said the TSB was committed to mass production through methods and increased incentives for smallholder farmers to enter sisal cultivation and they responded positively.
He said as a result of the initiatives, about 2642 smallholder farmers have applied a total of 50,000 hectares for sisal cultivation.
Kambona said farmers were not meeting the current market demand which led farmers to have more orders before harvest.
“The demand for sisal is very high. We get orders from abroad but every time we when talk to farmers to supply even one container it becomes difficult.
Our farmers have been paid in advance, six months before harvest but when you talk to the farmer they say wait for three or six months,” said Kambona adding that currently you cannot get five tons or even one ton…. demand for sisal has shot up.
He said after three years the market would be good as they will harvest sisal of the 2642 smallholder farmers who were motivated to start farming.
Sisal takes 3 years to harvest and sell.
However, he said there were some farmers who take good care of their fields and can harvest for two and a half years and then they were harvested continuously for at least 15 – 20 years since sisal is harvested twice a year.
Kambona said they are encouraging farmers to cultivate UG first grade seeds which are the most widely produced and meet the global market.
He said the price for one tonne of sisal is 3.6m/ – Sisal is the leading material for agricultural twine due to its durability, strength, ability to stretch, resistance to deterioration in saltwater and affinity for certain dyestuffs.
Besides twines, ropes and general cordage, sisal is used in specialty paper, shining cloth, dartboards, footwear, hats bags, geotextiles, filters, carpets, mattresses, Macrame and wire rope cores.
It is also used as an environmentally friendly strengthening agent to replace fiberglass, asbestos in composite materials in various uses including automobile industry.
Low grade fiber has high content of cellulose and hemicelluloses which are processed by the paper industry. Medium grade fiber is used by the cordage industry for making baler, ropes and binder twine.
After the treatment high grade fiber is converted into yarns and used by the carpet industry.
Cat scratching posts, spa products, rugs, lumbar support belts, cloths, slippers and disc buffers are the products made from Sisal fiber.
