The abaca plant, whose scientific name is Musa Textilis Nee, belongs to the family of

Musaceae. It is indigenous to the Philippines but has been introduced to Borneo, Indonesia and
Central and South Americas. The Philippines is the world's largest source and supplier of abaca
fiber for cordage and pulp for specialty paper. While abaca fiber has been used in the cordage
manufacture for many years now, fiber for pulp in specialty paper manufacture came into
commercial use only in the 1930's.
In the Philippines, there are 3 regions which produce abaca in commercial quantity. These are
Mindanao, Visayas and the Bicol regions. Each of these regions supply different varieties and
hybrids. Although each variety has certain advantageous qualities, not a single variety can be
considered perfect. PSPI purchases fiber raw materials from different sources depending on the
quality specifications of its customers.

The Abaca Fiber and the Pulp

Commonly known in the international trade as Manila Hemp, it is considered the strongest of
natural fibers.It is 3 times stronger than Sisal fiber, and is far more resistant to salt water
decomposition than most of the vegetable fibers. Compared to synthetic fibers like rayon and
nylon, abaca fiber possesses higher tensile strength and lower elongation in both wet and dry
states. This establishes the fact that the natural fiber has better characteristics than the common
man-made fibers.
The fiber is mostly for cordage (ropes) and handicraft goods like bags, placemats slippers,
doormats and others. When converted to pulp, the fibers finds extensive use in specialty paper
making, where the principally desired characteristics are good strength and porosity, and in
general, substantial wet strength. A scanning electron micrograph of a web of alpha-cellulose
abaca fibers shows the relative smooth, straight nature of fibers. The pulp cellulose fiber has a
mean length of 4 mm to 6 mm; and mean diameter of 17 to 21 microns. It has a narrow pointed
end. By comparison, typical wood pulp has a fiber length of from 2 mm to 3mm and a diameter
of about 40 microns. The high ratio of fiber length and fiber width partially explains the
remarkable properties of abaca pulp.
PROCESS OF ABACA PLANT PROPAGATION
The Abaca plant propagates itself through suckering, or the growing of shoots from the roots.
When all the leaves have been formed from the
stem, flower buds develop, at which time the plant has reached maturity and is then ready for
harvest.
HARVESTING

Under normal conditions, the first harvest is done from 18 to 24 months after planting. Stalks are
considered mature and are harvested when the flagleaf appears. Subsequent harvest is done at 3
to 4 month intervals. The period of good fiber recovery extend for more than one month from
flagleaf to early inflorescence. In the harvesting process, which involves mainly the cutting down
of the plant, there are 2 stages, namely: Topping - the leaves of the trees to be harvested are cut at
the base of the petiole with the use of a knife or sickle fastened at the end of a bamboo or
wooden pole. Tumbling - the stalks that have just been topped are then tumbled down with the
use of a bolo knife. The stalks are cut close to the ground. After tumbling, all cut stalks are piled
in a convenient place where "tuxying" is to be done.
TUXYING
Tuxying is the method of extracting the fiber from the leafsheaths. Entire leafsheaths are
separated from the stalk and flattened. A specially- made tuxying knife is used to make an
incision through the inner and middle layer of each sheath, close to the base or butt end to
facilitate the separation of these layers from the outer layer.
STRIPPING
Stripping is the method of cleaning abaca fibers through the use of stripping knives. In the
Philippines there are currently 2 methods in use, namely: Handstripping -this method is very
simple, fully manual, but is very strenuous on the part of the stripper. The tuxy is inserted
between a block and the serrated (or non-serrated) stripping knife. The tuxy is pulled with force
from the tip end of the tuxy. It is here where the 6fiber separates from the wastes. Spindle
stripping - the fibers are wound around a tapered-shaped spindle which is kept in motion by an
electric motor or an engine. The speed at which the spindle draws the fiber over the knife
depends on its position along the cone. The larger end of the spindle draws the fiber faster than
the small end. Fibers recovered vary from 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent by weight of the freshly cut
stalks.
DRYING
All stripped fibers undergo drying before being stored. They may be sundried in the open or air
dried in shaded structures.
Baling and Grading
Actual baling and grading are done under government accredited agency in the Philippines,the
Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA). Bales received at the PSPI warehouse are further
inspected not only for grading purposes but also for conformity to PSPI's quality requirements.