A VALUE CHAIN ON UTILIZATION OF BANANA PSEUDOSTEM FOR FIBRE AND OTHER VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS

National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP)

(Component 2)

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Banana is one of the most important fruit crops grown in India. The area under banana has increased from 1.49 lakh ha during 1956-57 to 4.63 lakh ha during 2006-07, i.e., increase by 210 per cent. After harvest of fruit, huge quantity (60 to 80 t/ha) of waste biomass (pseudostem, leaves, suckers etc.) is generated. Presently, this biomass is discarded as
Area ('000 ha)

Decadal increase in area under banana in India

500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 462.5 424.6

waste. Present project envisages development of effective value chain for efficient utilization of each and every component of banana pseudostem. Considerable work has been done in the field of direct use and product

300

209
149

235

1956-57

1966-67

1976-77 1986-87 Year

1996-97

2006-07

development from banana fruits. However, not much attention has been focused on effective utilization of the huge biomass generated in the form of pseudostem, leaves, suckers etc. In India, presently this biomass is dumped on roadside or burnt or left in situ causing detrimental impact on environment. Though, the technologies for extraction of fibres and paper making from pseudostem are available, yet it has not been adopted by the industries mainly due to high transport cost. However, there exist a vast potential of extracting fibres from pseudostem. The quantity and quality of fibres show wide variability with cultivars. The fibre extracted from banana pseudostem could not command proper market owing to its restricted use in cottage industries. There appears to be good scope of profitable use of this fibre in textile and paper industries on commercial scale. Not only this, but number of high value products can also be developed from banana pseudostem.

VALUE CHAIN FOR BANANA PSEUDOSTEM: MISSING LINKS

There is need to explore possibilities of utilization of pseudostem for fibre, paper, edible products, mordant, microcrystalline cellulose and enriched organic manures. However, owing to following weak/missing links, these possible uses have not been realized on commercial scale. Extraction of fibres from pseudostem on commercial scale Scanty use of fibres for fabrics and quality paper making Presently, scutching waste not used for preparing enriched manures and paper The available yarn and weaving machines are not fully suitable for processing of pseudostem fibres. Sap is neither used as liquid fertilizer nor mordant Microcrystalline cellulose powder is not extracted from fibres Central core is seldom used for preparing edible products

OBJECTIVES

Present project envisages development of effective value chain for efficient utilization of each and every component of banana pseudostem.

Objectives:
Standardize processes for extracting textile grade fibres from pseudostem and prepare home furnishings Standardize processes of pulp and paper making from pseudostem, fibres and

scutching waste both at hand made and industrial levels Develop value added edible products from central core Preparation and evaluation of enriched sap and scutching waste based vermicompost Develop linkage for marketing of pseudostem based products

PROJECT AREA
The project area includes major banana growing areas of South Gujarat and southern part of middle Gujarat. The major focus is to establish linkages with banana cooperatives and demonstrate fibre extraction technology on a large scale on farmers fields. It will also include demonstrations on utilization of scutching waste based vermicompost and sap as liquid fertilizer in different crops.

NAIP intervened villages Control + NAIP intervened villages Control villages

CONSORTIUM PARTNERS

PARTNER - 1 LEAD CENTRE Navsari Agricultural University, Eru Char Rasta, Navsari - 396 450 (Gujarat) Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Adenwala Road, Matunga, Mumbai 400 019 (Maharashtra State)

PARTNER - 2 R & D Man Made Textile Research Association, New Mellienium Textile Market, Nr. Telephone Exchange, Surat (Gujarat)

PARTNER- 3 JK Paper Ltd., Unit Central Pulp Mills, PO: Central Pulp Mills - 394 660 Songadh, Dist. Tapi (Gujarat)

Activity: - Extraction of fibre using raspador m/c at NAU farm and on farmers fields - Yarn preparation from banana fibre - Hand made paper making - Evaluating pseudostem sap as liquid fertilizer and scutching waste based vermicompost as organics in different crops - Developing edible products from central core

Activity: - Yarn preparation - Quality evaluation of fibre and standardizing fibre grades - Extraction of Micro crystalline Cellulose (MCC) from fibre - Testing use of sap ad mordant for textile industries

Activity: - Quality testing of yarn - Preparation of different quality fabrics and quality evaluation - Conducting scoring, bleaching and dyeing trials - Preparation of finished products viz., apparels and home furnishings

Activity: - Optimizing pulping and bleaching conditions for banana fibre - Preparation of quality grade papers - Effluent characterization

ACHIEVEMENTS (AS ON 31ST MARCH 2010) Partners NAU, Navsari Role Extraction of fibre at NAU & Farmers fields Utilization of scutching waste for vermicompost and hand made paper Sap as liquid fertilizer Edible products from central core Evaluation of fibre quality Yarn preparation Standardize process for MCC from fibre Standardize process for use of sap as mordant in textile dyeing Fabric and home furnishings Performance - 24 raspador units procured - 9 units established on farmers fields and 3 at NAU (1000 kg fibre extracted at NAU and 2800 kg by farmers) - Commissioning of HMP in progress - Experiments for evaluation vermicompost and sap in crops for 2nd year are in progress - Process standardized for candy and RTS - Commissioning of modified yarn m/c in progress - Standardized process for MCC - Process developed for use of sap as mordant (bixa natural colour). Large scale trial is in progress - Quality of fibres and papers evaluated.

CIRCOT, Mumbai

MANTRA, Surat JK Paper, Songadh

- 5 different fabric using banana fiber as weft and cotton as warp woven - Quality of yarn and fabric tested. - Optimizing pulping and bleaching conditions using banana fibre conducted. - Paper prepared at lab. scale - Application part is in progress

Development of industrial grade paper

SALIENT FEATURES

- Modification / fabrication of raspador unit: wheel (for mobility) and pulley attachment (power tiller/oil engine operated) and continuous feeding to avoid pull back action - Pseudostem sap tested under laboratory scale as a mordant have shown better fastening properties - MCC extracted from fibre and its evaluation is in progress - 1st year results indicated that sap application in banana and sugarcane can save 20 % chemical fertilizer without affecting the yields - Application of scutching waste based vermicompost @5 t/ha was found comparable with the application of FYM or press mud based biocompost at recommended level of respective crop - Sap can be used as liquid fertilizer and growth promoter - Preliminary trials conducted for paper making from banana fibre has shown better mechanical properties - Refinement of yarn processing is in progress after first year exploratory trials. - Four types fabrics prepared using banana yarn as weft and cotton as warp. - Process for candy from central core has been standardized

PLAN FOR 2010 - 11 Activity LEAD CENTRE NAU, Navsari Fibre extraction at NAU & on Farmers fields Work plan - Commissioning all 24 raspador m/c (5: NAU & 19: on farmers fields (establishing 4 rural industries) - Anticipated fibre extraction at NAU 2.5 tonnes and 15 tonnes at farmers fields /year - Standardize process for preparing yarn from fibre - Large scale production of yarn - Process standardization for Hand made paper and board and production of value added articles - Production of vermicompost at NAU (50 to 60 tonnes/ year) and on farmers fields - Lying of demonstrations on farmers fields (24 nos. 12 each on sap & vermicompost) - Monitoring of field expts. (8 expts.) & demonstrations (24 nos.) - Spray trials on crops - Trials on vermicompost as fish feed - Process standardization for RTS and pickle - Pilot scale production of candy - 8 trainings related to fibre extraction, vermicompost preparation and other value added products - During Krishi Mahotsav 2010, organizing farmers day, meeting with banana cooperatives and federations etc. - 3 meetings each of CMU & CIC and 2 meetings of CAC per year - Linkages with banana cooperatives, industries and entrepreneurs for marketing of pseudostem based products

Yarn preparation HMPB from scutching waste and fibre Scutching waste based vermi-compost and sap as liquid fertilizer/ spray solution

Edible products from central core HRD: Training farmers Dissemination: Among stakeholders Governing: CMU, CIC & CAC Linkages: For marketing of pseudostem based products (ALL PARTNERS) PARTNER 1: CIRCOT, Mumbai Yarn preparation: From fibre

Sap as mordant: Laboratory scale testing of sap as mordant Preparing MCC from fibre Quality testing of paper PARTNER 2: MANTRA, Surat Quality evaluation of yarn Preparation of different quality fabrics from yarn Testing different types of fabric prepared Standardize Scoring, bleaching and dying processes Preparing textile and home

Process standardization for yarn preparation Exploratory trials on yarn preparation (medhalari charkha) Trials related to softening of fibres Standardizing grades for banana fibre (quality testing of fibres: Mechanical & Chemical composition) - Conducting carding trials for fibres - Conduct large scale trials on fabrics using natural dyes

- Pilot scale production of MCC and quality evaluation - Testing of different grades papers for mechanical properties - Studying mechanical properties of yarn - Process standardization for different quality fabrics - Weaving trials (blending, singeing , desizing, etc.) - Studying mechanical properties of fabrics - Conducting trials using different chemicals for scoring, bleaching and dying. - Preparing finished textile products (coating, lamination etc.) and

Activity furnishings PARTNER 3: JK PAPER, Songadh Proximate analysis pulping and bleaching trials Evaluation of bleached and unbleached pulp Preparing quality grade papers Quality testing of paper Evaluation of effluent quality Proximate analysis pulping and bleaching trials Evaluation of bleached and unbleached pulp SUCCESS STORY home furnishings

Work plan

- Process standardized for pulping and bleaching conditions using banana pseudostem fibre and scutcher - For physical strength, optical properties and fibre fractionation) - Process standardization (anti grease, check book and currency grade paper) and pilot scale production. - Analysis of paper for different properties - Characterization of effluent generated during pulping and bleaching - Process standardized for pulping and bleaching conditions using banana pseudostem fibre and scutcher - For physical strength, optical properties and fibre fractionation)

After attending first training at NAU, Navsari followed by training at Rajpipla, one farmer viz., Upendrasinh Patel, village Rajpipla, taluka Nandod of Narmada district started fibre extraction using one unit supplied under NAIP. Following this, he has up-scaled it to well set small scale industry in GIDC, Rajpipla

BANANA FIBRE EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTED BY FARMER

Subsidy: Loan Equipments procured Quantity of fibre extracted Kg/day Total : : : : : : 25% subsidy for procurement of additional 2 raspador unit at his own cost from District Industrial Cooperation, Narmada district Project on fibre extraction using raspador was submitted for loan amounting to 10.50 lakhs. Bank has approved 100 per cent loan 2 raspador units 1 carding machine 25 to 30 2500 kg > 3 tonnes

Quantity of scutching waste based vermicompost prepared Vermi bed wash collected Employment generation

: :

150 litres 25 labours per day

Income generated

From fibre : Rs.1,68000 Expected from vermicompost: Rs. 10,000 Expected from Vermiwash Rs. 10,000

MARKETING STRATEGIES

PHOTO GALLERY

Pseudostem cutter developed by NAU, Navsari

Raspador Fibre extraction machine developed by CIRCOT, Mumbai

Raspador Power tiller operated

Commissioning of Yarn machine at CIRCOT, Mumbai

Hand made paper unit being established at NAU, Navsari

Fibre extraction unit established at Kikwad village (Surat district)

Banana fibre (NAU)

Yarn from banana fibre (CIRCOT)

Banana Fabric (MANTRA)

Paper from banana fibre (JK Paper)

Sap as Mordant (CIRCOT)

Micro Crystalline Cellulose from fibre (CIRCOT)

Pseudostem sheath & fibre retting plant

Vermicompost unit at SWMRU farm (NAU)

Vermicompost as fish feed Trials conducted at SWMRU farm (NAU)

Field experiments Evaluation of sap as liquid fertilizer and scutching waste based vermicompost as organic manure in sugarcane, banana and papaya

Training of farmers Fibre extraction and vermicompost preparation

Testing of sap as nutrient spray in different nurseries (oil pal, chillies and brinjal) and Mango

Field visit

Visit by various dignitaries, scientists, farmers and students to NAIP sites at SWMRU farm, NAU

Ex. Agril. Minister Shri. Chudasma and Hon. Vice Chancellor Dr. A. R. Pathak (NAU, Navsari)

Dr. H. P. Singh DDG (Horti.) ICAR

Dr. P. Rethinam, CAC Chairman

M & E Consultant (NAIP), Dr. U. K. Srivastava and Dr. Rathi

Farmers

NAU Students

VALUE CHAIN OF BANANA PSEUDOSTEM

Presently, there is no commercial use of pseudostem causing disposal problems. They are either dumped on farm bunds, drains / burnt causing environmental pollution. About 80 tonnes of pseudostem is generated from one ha area

NAIP INTERVENTIONS Extraction of fibre from pseudostem (NAU & Farmers)

Training to farmers (400)

FIBRE (@ 0.6 t/ha)

SAP (15000-20000 lit./ha)

SCUTCHING WASTE (16 t/ha)

CENTRAL CORE (10 t/ha)

Use of nanotechnology for fibre strength R & D (CIRCOT)

- Fibre quality evaluation - Modification of machine - Preparation of Yarn (CIRCOT & NAU)

Fiber for quality paper making (JKP)

Preparation of Micro crystalline cellulose, R&D (CIRCOT)

Use as Mordant R&D (CIRCOT)

Enrichment of sap Testing of enriched sap as liquid fertilizer (NAU)

Preparation of vermicompost (NAU)

Hand made paper and boards (NAU)

Standardizing processes for recipes (Chips, pickles etc) (NAU)

Training to weavers (200) MANTRA

Modification of weaving machine & preparation of fabric (MANTRA)

Training on enrichment & use of vermicompost & liquid as organic fertilizer to farmers (400) by NAU Demonstration on farmers fields (NAU)

Fabric processing for Geotextiles, Agro textiles, garments, home furnishings etc. (MANTRA)

Transfer of technology and marketing through Cooperatives, partners and industries