Sisal regulation draft to be ready by October

The Mozambican government expects by next October to have finished the drafting of regulations for the production, processing and export of sisal fibre, a crop which has been gaining popularity in the country in recent years, Noticias reports. The instrument, which will be finalised during the forthcoming session of the cotton advisory council to be held in October, lays the groundwork for the marketing of this crop and is expected to facilitate investment in the sector. In Mozambique, the production of sisal and other fibres used in the textile industry is overseen by the Cotton Institute of Mozambique (IAM).Speaking to Noticias yesterday, the director-general of the Cotton Institute of Mozambique, Luís Tomo, said that, after dealing with sisal, his institution also faced the challenge of drafting regulations for banana fibre – historically one of the longest-used by the global textile industry.

Tomo said that his institution has already completed the fieldwork for the sisal regulations currently under consideration, and had requested data on the production component from the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) Faculty of Agronomy.

Mozambique has good potential for sisal production, a crop which, as well as providing opportunities for local people to access employment, could earn foreign currency.

“Following this diagnosis, last year we launched a public tender for services to develop a revitalisation plan for the sisal value chain in the country. We request support from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Fund (FAO) to improve the availability of relevant data and information on sisal culture in the country,” Tomo said. Available data indicate that sisal culture in Mozambique is developed by the business sector in Monapo, Angoche, Mossuril, Mozambique Island and Memba districts in Nampula province. In the 2018/19 agricultural season, planned production was about 3,000 tons of sisal fibre, grown over a tilled area estimated at 12,352 hectares, about 2,648 hectares less than that planned. Projections suggest revenues of over US$4 million, excluding charges from sisal fibre exporters or intermediaries.

Until last year, Mozambique shared tenth place in sisal production with Angola and Ethiopia, with a production ranging between 500 to 1000 kilograms per hectare. So far, sisal fibre has only been exported to make twine and rope for various purposes, particularly in the automotive industry, with its value in the market increasing due to demand for accessories made from biodegradable materials.