Study of fibre industry in India

In the preparation of this study of vegetable fibres, an attempt has been made to review the results of such researches and experiments as were carried out by various research insti tutes and laboratories, and organisations connected with utiliss tion of vegetable fibres as basic raw material for manufacturing different products which are of use in everyday life-domestic, agricultural and industrial. Some of the fibres like jute and coir have a long history of their development culminating in their present status as an important industrial and economic activity covering millions of families engaged in them at the stages of the cultivation and plantation, extraction of fibre, manufacture of finished products, trade practices, and marketing and export. There are some fibres like the banana stem, the pineapple leaf, and the agaves which have a promise of potential source and are of immense value in several ways, in organized cultivation, plantation, collection, fibre extraction and manufacture of finished products. There are yet several other fibre yielding plants which grow in the hilly areas and in small pockets and are valuable in terms of the regional requirements, capable of providing employment opportunities and meeting local demands.