Sisal to replace bananas crop?

PANAMA. Banana plantations in Puerto Armuelles may be replaced with sisal cacti, if legislator Rogelio Paredes’ suggestion is adopted.

Paredes said that there is a huge demand in China for the fibre from sisal plants which is used to make material, ropes and sacks.

China does not have sufficient land to cultivate the crop and Chinese businesses are looking to import from overseas.

Paredes has suggested to Minister of Industry and Commerce, Roberto Henriquez, that sisal may be the ideal crop to replace the banana plantations that have lost their overseas market mainly due to illegal tariffs from the European Union.

“There are 3,200 hectares that are going completely uncultivated and another 3,018 hectares under bananas,” Simon Lescano, director of the Multiple Services Cooperative of Puerto Armuelles (Coosemupar) said.

He said there is a potential workforce of 2,400 labourers available.

According to the website fibrasnaturales.com, world production of sisal is around 300,000 tons and is worth $75 million.

Bazil is the world’s largest exporter, producing 100,000 tons a year. Other countries that export sisal are Cuba, Kenya, Haiti, Madagascar and Mexico.

Sisal is a tropical plant that thrives in temperatures above 25°C and sunny conditions.

Each plant lives for around 25 years and can be harvested for its leaves for 18-20 years.

The metre-long, needle-like leaves are cut, put through a mangle to remove the sap and expose the long internal fibres, washed, and then left in the sun to dry.

The price of sisal depends on the whiteness, length and strength of the dried fibres.

The main negative to sisal production is that it requires vast quantities of water to wash the sap from the fibres. Run off from sisal factories can pollute water courses and be damaging to the environment.