Eastern Cape natural fibre cluster is likely to lead the country's initiatives in natural fibre processing, says Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) chief executive Sitembele Mase.
ECDC, together with the provincial Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (DEDEA), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Cacadu District Municipality, are part of the team leading fibre development initiatives in the province.
"Already R21 million has been invested in research and product development of these fibres. Two hundred and six jobs have been created; 33 jobs in a hemp commercial pilot project and 173 jobs in the cashmere sector," says Mase.
There is a potential to establish a niche natural fibre cluster around the province's cashmere, hemp and flax, pineapple agave Americana and wool and mohair industries. The cluster works with partners in research, agriculture, industry, government and higher education with a view for beneficiation and addressing socio-economic issues, Mase says.
"The purpose is to map out the value chains for products in each industry and plan with stakeholders. That will help us identify solutions to gaps in the value chains. Part of the process is identifying gaps in technology and also those related to social and economic issues."
ECDC project manager and the cluster chairman Ken Bern says that while traditional fibres like mohair and wool industries have a century-old history in the province; crops such as pineapples are fast gaining ground.
The pineapple industry has already made inroads towards developing natural fibre, Bern says.
"Pineapples, as a crop, are not unfamiliar to the province. It has been around for over 100 years but the industry has been reenergized by opportunities as a result of a restructured process and a subsequent zero waste beneficiation strategy," says Bern.
This pineapple project has been funded to the tune of R60 million by the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture and ECDC, together with additional investments coming from the farmers. This has resulted in increased plantings, the acquisition by Ndlambe Natural Industrial Products (NNIP) of a majority stake in fruit processor Summerpride Foods, a workers trust holding 26% equity in NNIP and a successful dietary fibre pilot project.
Numerous other opportunities are being investigated including various other fibres which can be extracted from the pineapple.
Recently the pineapple industry announced it had received its first commercial order for dietary fibre which brings to a close the first phase of the project. The fibre from the fruit is seen as a healthy additive to a wide variety of food, including, but not necessarily limited to bread, cakes and processed meat products.
"The second focus area of the project will look at the possibilities of fruit's microcrystalline cellulose opportunities for use in the dietary fibre and pharmaceutical industries. This project has the potential to create between 400 and 600 jobs in Bathurst," explains Bern.
Successful beneficiation has also been achieved in the cashmere stream, which should take two to three years to come to fruition and has already generated 173 jobs.
The province is home to three million indigenous goats. The development of the cashmere industry is a key programme in the Industry Policy Action Plan (IPAP) for the clothing, textiles, leather and footwear sector.
In mohair, the project team is awaiting the Mohair Board which is waiting for the finalisation of a 50% stake by farmers from the Klipplaat, Steylterville and Jansenville area. The project will take up to three years to become fully operational.
"Five black farmers recently graduated from skills transfer programme with the Mohair Growers Association," says Bern. To complement this activity, the Ikwezi Local Municipality, ECDC and CSIR are involved in establishing a one-stop shop which produces and sells mohair craft products in Jansenville, he adds.
Jansenville is located between Uitenhage and Graaff-Reinet. The initiative is a drive to transform the South African mohair industry, says CSIR scientist, Sunshine Blouw.
"Ikwezi Local Municipality is the world's mohair capital, but when you drive through there, you don't find economic activity to suggest (that is it the world's mohair capital). The industry is historically white so this is a transformational agenda," Blouw says. In the hemp project, yarn producer House of Hemp and the national department of social development, are collaborating in a six ha trial in East London. The crop has the potential to produce up to seven tons of hemp straw per hectare. The National Hemp Foundation of SA, an entity representing both the public and private sector parties interested in hemp, is the driver of the hemp initiative.
The national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) directorate for plant production is responsible for coordinating efforts to submit amendments to current legislation to allow for commercial cultivation of hemp.
Agave Americana is being investigated by the CSIR for its suitability as a dietary fibre (fructans). Primary research on its extraction and the development of other products such as textiles and handmade paper from by-product of leaf material has been completed.
"Our fibre research in the province has caught the attention of the Department of Trade and Industry, which together with a number of other fibres, has been listed in the country's industrial policy action plan for use in the textile, aerospace, construction and automotive sectors," ends Mase.
Natural fibre cluster fact file
Currently, five areas have been identified where there is a potential to establish a niche natural fibre linked industry
- Cashmere: The combed hair from the three million goats in the province will be used to spin into luxury yarns in the manufacture of garments.
- Hemp and flax: Using crops new to South Africa and with established uses in other countries, hemp and flax could help revitalise the textile industry and be used as a source of seeds and oils.
- Agave Americana: The sisal plant, which grows in the Karoo and which has been used to make a tequila-type liquor, could help develop markets particularly as a raw material for several industrial uses.
- Pineapple: Having learnt from the innovative projects which make commercial use of the leaves, stems and roots of the pineapple plant, there are fibre opportunities for a plant which already has a solid base in plantations and has the involvement of black commercial farmers.
- Mohair and wool: New opportunities are being investigated for an old industry that will involve people previously (and currently) excluded from direct benefit in the beneficiation of the Eastern Cape‘s extraordinary resources of mohair and wool.
Goal: Create more jobs in the region by using the natural fibres produced locally as raw material inputs
- ECDC
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