10% hike in abaca fiber exports projected

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine abaca fiber exports are projected to increase by more than 10 percent to 12,300 metric tons (MT) in 2011 from last year’s 11,175 MT forecast.

Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) Administrator Cecilia Gloria Soriano expressed optimism that full recovery of the export market for abaca could be achieved this year.

Soriano said the abaca industry has already shown recovery as evident in the significant improvement in the exports of abaca fiber and other abaca-based products last year, as economic growths of importing countries have started to regain momentum.

Total abaca fiber exports in 2010 were projected at 11,175 MT, surpassing by 11.8 percent FIDA’s forecast for the year of 10,000 MT. January to November shipments of 10,242.67 MT were already 75.6 percent higher than 5,832.2 MT total during the same period of 2009.

Soriano said the biggest markets abroad for Philippine abaca fiber are the United Kingdom and Asian countries especially Japan, China and Indonesia.

Likewise, the country’s shipments of abaca pulp are projected to reach 22,000 MT this year while abaca cordage at 7,700 MT.

Total export revenues from these commodities are estimated at $107.3 million, she said.

According to FIDA, some specialty papermakers abroad have shifted to the importation of abaca pulp instead of the usual raw fiber because pulping is highly polluting that it harms the environment.

The stringent anti-pollution control laws in their countries require them to put up anti-pollution control mechanisms which they consider costly, it said.

In particular, China, one of the biggest tea-drinking populations in the world, has been continuously expanding its imports of abaca pulp from the Philippines for the manufacture of tea bags.

Aside from tea bags, abaca pulp are utilized for the manufacture of specialty paper products for coffee filters, meat and sausage casings, currency papers, cigarette papers, filters, hi-tech capacitor papers and other non-wovens and disposables.

On the other hand, cordage, ropes and twines are used for oil well and gas drilling, for binding, tying and lassoing, building construction, fishing and shopping.