सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Tikapur. Consumption of fiber produced from banana stems and handicrafts made from it is increasing in Kailali, Kailali. The cooperative, located in Tikapur Municipality-8, has reported that the demand for products made from the fiber is increasing by producing fiber from banana stems.
The industry, which was established a year ago, has been producing banana fibers and making hats, bags, pen holders, clothes, and mats used for sitting.
According to the cooperative’s manager, Ramkrishna Chaudhary, the industry has been bringing banana stems from farmers free of charge for the past year. ‘A kilogram of fiber is produced from about 10 looms daily,’ he said. ‘Up to 15 hats can be made from one kilogram of fiber. The cooperative sells a hat for Rs. 1,000 and a pen holder for Rs. 300.’
The cooperative has no shortage of markets to sell its products. The cooperative has not been able to produce according to market demand. ‘There is a lot of demand for products and fibers from Kathmandu. Industries in Kathmandu are asking to send as much raw materials as possible,’ Chaudhary said. ‘We are not able to provide them according to demand.’
10 women are working in the cooperative’s industry, of which five are regularly making handicrafts from banana fiber. They make various materials that can be used for home decoration and other purposes. The materials produced in this way are being consumed in Kailali itself.
The cooperative has stated that there is a demand to display the materials produced by the industry even at the fairs and festivals held here. Locals say that it would be even better if the waste material after banana fiber production could be used as fertilizer. ‘The cooperative is now trying to produce yarn to make clothes,’ said Ward No. 8 Ward Chairman Dirgha Bahadur Thakulla, ‘If we can make yarn, we can get good benefits.’
Tikapur-6 Ward Chairman Baliram Chaudhary said that he had also bought a bag and said that it should be expanded as raw materials are available in abundance. ‘Since Tikapur is a pocket area for bananas, there is no need to buy banana stalks, they are available for free,’ he said, ‘Many materials can be made from the waste banana stalks. It should be expanded by investing more.’
While the government has adopted the policy of one cooperative, one industry, the work of connecting farmers and women farmers with employment through the industries established by the cooperative should be further managed, said Binod Shah, an officer of the Sustainable Development Society Bhajani. ‘Since this area is a banana-growing area, women members and farmers have benefited from bananas,’ he said, ‘It is a good achievement that the share members of the cooperative get employment opportunities by using locally available raw materials.’
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