From farm to fibre - my first experience of a sisal operation

Sisal plants come from the agarve family and can be crushed into a very strong, sustainable and durable fibre which is traditionally used for ropes and mats.
 
At Highland Estates Limited, sisal production is the mainstay of the operation, with Naweed Mulla and his family growing around 4,000ac of the H66418 variety.
 
A huge amount of time and labour goes into the growing phase, from planting seedlings by hand, to cutting Individual leaves four years later - it’s a long-waiting game with the plant reaching optimum maturity around 8 years old.
 
Leaves are harvested by hand, crushed and washed through a process called decodication, to release the fibre.  Around 200,000litres of water are used in the cleaning process and 110 tonnes of fibre is produced daily.
 
The fibre strands are then dried in the sun for 24 hours before being brushed / de-tangled and packed to be sent for turning into a variety of products with the main demand coming from Saudia Arabia and China.
 
It was fascinating to hear that only 4% of the leaves are turned into fibre with the rest being utilised as a biological fertiliser on the farm. Work is underway to turn the waste into a more profitable output, watch this space!