What is abaca production?
What is abaca production?
Mainly used for the production of speciality papers. The plant. Also called manila hemp, abaca is extracted from the leaf sheath around the trunk of the abaca plant (Musa textilis), a close relative of the banana, native to the Philippines and widely distributed in the humid tropics.
What are the importance of abaca production in the Philippines?
Waste materials from Abaca are useful, too, as fertilizer. The Abaca plant is also good to the environment as it helps improve the water holding capacity of the soil, thereby preventing soil erosion, floods and landslides, and addresses sedimentation problems in coastal areas where sea fishes breed.
How abaca grow in the Philippines?
Abaca needs 40-50% shade, preferably leguminous trees. When planting on a coconut farm, the distance from coconut to coconut should be at least 10 meters. A closer distance will cause overshading.
How do you maintain abaca?
CARE INSTRUCTIONS
- Abaca fibers are resistant to water damage. However, when soaked in water, fibers soften and the item might lose its shape.
- For regular upkeep, you may spray fabric starch to retain its body.
- Fibers are prone to lint and pilling when used over time.
What is the importance of abaca?
Planting abaca can also minimize erosion and sedimentation problems in coastal areas which are important breeding places for sea fishes. The water holding capacity of the soil will be improved and floods and landslides will also be prevented. Abaca waste materials are used as organic fertilizer.
What are the different products produced from abaca?
Here are the products that can be made out of abaca.
- Ropes. Abaca fibers were first made into ropes, twines, and cordage by the natives who first lived in the country.
- Fabrics.
- Bags.
- Furniture.
How do you think the production of abaca affects the economy in the Philippines?
For the past half-decade, the Abaca industry helped boost the country`s economy from its export earnings with an annual average of P4. 7 billion. Mostly in the Visayas and Mindanao Islands, Abaca fibers are cultivated across 176,549 hectares of farmlands by over 122,758 farmers.
What is the role of abaca in the household economy?
The role of abaca in the household economy of villagers in Leyte is described. The study shows that abaca is both an important secondary income source of households with lowland farms, and frequently the only source of cash income of the poorest households in the community.
What are the prospects for abaca production?
The overall assessment of the industry shows that despite esternal threats and internal difficulties, there are very good prospects for the abaca industry e.g. the abaca pulp as substitute for coniferous pulp in most paper and specialty paper products, the fiber craft sector, abaca fabrics for decor and wrapping …
Is there any future for the abaca production?