The Department of Science and Technology-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) has developed a fiber-extracting machine to address the safety concerns of abaca farmers.
"For a long time, many of our abaca farmers have had no choice but to use very hazardous fiber-extracting machines that expose them to moving blades," DOST-FPRDI Engr. Edward Paul S. Marasigan said.
"With the institute's abaca decorticating machine, this hazard has been removed while still giving them high fiber quality and yield," he added.
Marasigan hailed the invention of the machine, noting that "it's an important development" since abaca is one of the country's most vital cash crops and top export earners.
Abaca, known as the world's strongest natural fiber, provides income to 76,000 farmers and tens of thousands of other Filipinos working in trading posts and processing plants.
Fiber exports and manufacture of abaca cordage, yarns, fabrics, and fiber crafts, including pulp and raw fiber, earn about $97 million annually.
"Coming up with a safe and effective fiber-extracting device has been a long-time challenge for the country's abaca industry. Available technologies are typically labor-intensive, unsafe to use, and unable to yield fibers of consistent quality," Marasigan said.
"We are glad we have been able to develop a machine that solves these concerns. At a fabrication cost of P165,000 and a fiber recovery of 3.79 percent, our innovation is at par with the abaca decorticating devices available in the market," he added.
The project was funded by the DOST-FRRDI and the output of Marasigan's Master in Science in Agricultural Engineering thesis at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
Marasigan's co-workers included Dr. Fernando O. Paras Jr., For. Victor G. Revilleza, and Engr. Alvin F. Vardeleon.