Many fancy goods are being made of pineapple leaves in Tangail. The leaves of the fruit were thrown away earlier or used as the fodder of the cattle. However, it has now become the main raw materials of fancy goods.Gradually, its production and uses are being expanded.
Tangail’s Madhupur Garh is famous for pineapple production. At first, the women of the area started making several household products made of pineapple. Later in 2008, a foreign organisation named Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Bangladesh took initiative to produce yarn from leaves. The project of the organisation was at Jalchhatra Bazar in the Upazila. After that in 2017, Bureau Bangladesh established a handcraft factory at Jangalia village in the forest area of the district. More than one hundred men and women got employment there. Moreover, the pineapple farmers earn extra money from the leaves of the pineapples.
The fiber comes out from the pineapple leaves through the fiber extraction machine. Then it is washed with water. After that the fiber is dried in the sun. Around 60-centimeter-long yarn can be collected from one kilogram of leaves. A total of 30 people’s assistance is needed to collect the fiber from the beginning to end. Around 100 to 150 kilograms of fiber can be collected from 1,000 kilograms of leaves. It is used in many ways. Specially, the handcrafts and other fancy goods for the households are made of the yarn. Moreover, high quality fabric is made of the yarn. It is a positive matter that it is exported abroad for making of high quality leather from the yarn.
On the other hand, those leaves which can’t be used for making yarn, they can be used for making several products such as jewelry box, table mat, floor mat, flower box, wall hanging, key ring, etc. These products are being exported to many developed countries, including China. Many women have become self-dependent working here. The women are getting more money from handcraft work than working at the lands of pineapple. So, they are leading a quite solvent life now.
Firoz Mia, resident of Beribaid village of the Upazila, said he has been working here taking training. I did not know that such beautiful goods can be made from pineapple leaves. I learnt these after taking the training, he added. There are many others like him who are working here. They are working part time besides cultivating pineapple.
Razzak Mia, a pineapple farmer of the area, said 36 leaves consist of a pineapple plant. One plant gives fruit once. New plant grows from the root of the old plants. Around 15-20 leaves are cut after harvesting the pineapple. Later, all the leaves are cut when new plant is grown. These leaves get spoiled at the soil. Some people take these to feed their cattle. However, we have been selling these for the last few years. We are making extra money from selling these leaves.
AGM of Bureau Bangladesh handcraft factory, Amir Hamza, said many fancy goods are being made by providing training to women. So they are being financially solvent. The women who worked at the lands of pineapple are now working here. A total of 70 men and women workers are working here. Most of them are women. The deprived women are mostly working here. Around 4,00 workers received training here.
The local working class people said they are not so interested as it takes around two to three months to take the training. People will be interested if they get any allowance or stimuli during their training period.
A woman entrepreneur and also Director of Bureau Craft, RahelaJakir, said many ethnic minorities live in this Upazila. This project was initiated in Madhupur for their employment. She also said they got good response of these products when they participated in a fair in China. Moreover, many other countries have shown their interests to these handcraft products. We are making tissue paper with those leaves of pineapple which are not suitable for fiber. Nothing of pineapple goes in vain. They are planning to make one-time plate and glass as well. The environment-friendly products have a good demand in foreign countries, she added.
Md Kabir Hossain, Deputy Director of the Tangail Department of Agricultural Extension, said that pineapple leaves are not waste. The fibers extracted from the leaves are being used to create various environmentally friendly products. In addition to receiving recognition as a Geographical Indication (GI), these products have also gained significant acceptance among people.
