Sisal Plant

Sisal is a plant of the Agave family and consists of a rosette of sword-shaped leaves about 1.5 to 2 metres tall. The leaves contain valuable fibres, which account for only 4 % of the plant weight. After a period of eight to ten years the mature plant sends up a central flower stalk reaching about 6 metres in height. Flowers form dense clusters at the ends of branches growing from the flower stalk. As the flowers begin to wither, buds develop into small plants, also called bulbils, that fall to the ground and take root. The old plant dies when flowering is completed.

Planting & production

Propagation of sisal is done by means of bulbils which appear on the flower stalk, and by suckers growing around the base of the plant. Bulbils and suckers are first planted into nursery beds and are transplanted to the field after about 9 to 12 months. To optimize propagation, we are implementing planting experiments with both suckers and bulbils at our nursery.

To harvest leaves for fibres from the sisal plant, at intervals of 6 to 12 months, approximately 50 outer leaves are cut off close to the stalk as they reach their full length. In general, a sisal plant will produce 200 to 300 commercially usable leaves in its life-time and each leaf contains an average of around 1000 fibres

The fibre element, which accounts for only about 4 % of the plant by weight, is extracted by a process known as decortication. Leaves are crushed and beaten so that only fibres remain. All other parts of the leaf are washed away by water. Decorticated fibres are washed before drying in the sun. Dry fibres are machine combed and sorted into various grades. East African sisal, being washed and decorticated, is considered to be superior in quality to Brazilian sisal.

At Big Biz International, sisal fibre is manufactured and exported in bales. Before the bales are ready for export, the sisal fibres are carefully selected on type, length and color. Next, the selected fibres are brushed and pressed into bales. Sisal bales are exported in containers with condense absorbing devices.