Textile from bamboo and plantain fibre

by P.P.G. Sugathadasa, Thihagoda Group Cor.

Southern Provincial Ministry of Industries has taken the initiative to manufacture textiles utilising fibre obtained from bamboo and plantain trees.

SPC Ministry of Industries is seeking the assistance and cooperation of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Ruhuna University to make this novel strategy a success.

According to Southern Provincial Minister of Industries U.G.D. Ariyathilake, a huge amount of foreign exchange is being spent for the import of cotton threads for the manufacture of hand loom textiles by the government.

Countries such as China and Philipines already harness the strategy for textile production purposes. The ministry is also exploring the possibility of using threads of fibre obtained from wetakeiya and pine apple trees for textile production.

The keen anticipation and the highest expectation of the Southern

Provincial Ministry of Industries would be to produce quality textiles suitable for local and foreign markets and also earn a considerable amount of revenue and foreign exchange to state coffers SPC Minister of Industries U.G.D. Ariyathilake told the 'Sunday Observer'.