Banana Fiber - Everything Important About Its Origin

Banana plant is amazing crop as its every part is usable. Its fruit is delicious and healthy to eat, whereas its stem is utilized to produce banana fiber. Yes, you have read right. Not just the stems but the banana plant waste are also utilized to produce banana fiber, which is a highly trending fiber. It is a preferred material for handicrafts such as banana fiber rugs.

 

In the early days of banana fiber’s invention, it wasn't much of a favorite. Manufacturers preferred cotton, silk, and other highly-demanded fibers over banana fiber. However, the banana textile industry has experienced immense growth in recent years. Due to the increasing demand for banana handicrafts, more and more brands have started to opt for banana fiber.

But what exactly is banana fiber? In today's blog, we are going to dig deep into the banana fiber and how it's a revolutionary handicraft textile. So let's not make you wait more and start our blog right away.

What is Banana Fiber?

Just as the name says, banana fiber is extracted from the leftover waste of banana plant especially the stem which we call Pseudo Stem. The inner and outer peels are used for this fiber's production. This fiber is then further used to manufacture products such as banana braided rugs, carpets, and other handicrafts. Banana fiber has become a popular textile in recent years. However, when it comes to using banana plant residues to produce fiber, the practice has been done for centuries.

Banana Fiber And Textile - Origin And Its Rapid Growth

India ranks high in the list of largest banana producers globally, with a yearly output of approximately 13.5 million tons. 80% of the banana produce comes from six primary states - Gurajat, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. Thus, there is nothing wrong in saying that banana crops play an important role in the growth of the Indian economy.

Banana fiber is an amazing organic and sustainable alternative to other existing fibers with properties similar to silk. The fiber comes from the trunk or stalk portion of the banana plant, known as "pseudo stem." While producing fiber from a plant seems an interesting and unique process, but there is nothing new in it.

The textile produced from banana fiber, banana fiber rugs, for example, has been a part of Southeast Asian and Japanese cultures since the early 13th century. However, there are signs of this amazing fiber in Indian culture too. 

 

In Hindu mythology, the banana plant is described as KalpaVrikshya. It's referred to as a source of clothing, shelter, medicine, and food. We can say that textile preparation from the banana fiber is an ancient practice, which has come into light very late.

The Philippines was one of the biggest producers of banana fiber. But due to growth in the Indian handicraft sector, the production and export of banana fiber products such as have also increased a lot. This has helped India to improve its rank, surpassing the Philippines. braided rugs

Final Words

So this was everything important about the history of banana fiber and why it's a revolutionary textile. If you find this blog informative, make sure to share it with your friends and loved ones who are still unaware of this wonderful fiber.