Kendra plans to popularise banana fibre extraction
Staff Reporter
Says it will help boost economy in Karur and Tiruchi districts
Workshops held for self-help groups
Procurement centre set up with machine
KULITHALAI: The Saraswathi Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Puzhutheri, has chalked out a special programme to propagate banana fibre extraction and production of value added banana fibre products in the region.
Since the areas bordering Karur and Tiruchi districts have vast stretches under banana cultivation, rural economy could get a fillip if individuals take up manufacturing of banana fibre products that are finding increasing use, SKVK Programme Coordinator S. Vallal Kannan said here recently.
The SKVK is propagating the idea that “even the waste should not be wasted.”
The recent workshops conducted for the benefit of self-help group women, especially from the intense banana cultivating regions such as Kulithalai and Krishnarayapuram areas, have given hope that a sustained programme will lead to creation of awareness on the economic advantages of the banana fibre extraction and value addition, he said.
“We want to create a situation similar to that in the Marthandam area bordering Kerala, where almost every household is engaged in banana fibre extraction and value addition works.
The banana fibre, blended with natural dyes, is used in making a wide range of goods such as hand bags, tablemats, doormats, purse, hangings, papers and attractively patterned cloth.
It is greaseproof, water and fire resistant and totally bio-degradable,” said Dr. Vallal Kannan.
The maximum quantity of fibre that an individual can extract by manual process will be just 500 gram a day. For manual extraction, only wooden boards and metal scrapper are required.
A fibre-extracting machine, with the capacity to extract 15 to 20 kg a day, has been bought at a cost of Rs.30,000 from Rajamundhry in Andhra Pradesh.
The machinery uses very little power and can be operated by using solar and wind energy.
The KVK has so far trained over 500 people, especially women self help group members, in fibre extraction and is ready to help trainees and banana cultivators purchase machines by arranging for bank credit tie-up.
The KVK has also opened a procurement centre, where a machine has been installed for training purpose. The banana fibre is bought from farmers at prices ranging between Rs.50 and Rs.100 per kg depending on the quality, he said.
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