Tirunelveli Banana Fiber Handicraft Cooperative Tamil Nadu

Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu is a leading banana-growing area where cooperative artisan groups have developed banana pseudostem fiber extraction as a sustainable byproduct industry. After banana bunches are harvested, the pseudostem is chopped and fiber extracted using mechanical decorticators. Banana fiber is spun into yarn and woven into bags, mats, baskets, and cloth. Cooperative women groups under Tamil Nadu Khadi and Village Industries Board produce banana fiber products at village-level units in Vikramapattinam and Palayamkottai. Products are marketed at Tamil Nadu Khadi outlets and craft exports. Banana fiber composites are also supplied to automotive and packaging industries as natural fibre reinforcement. The industry provides income to plantation waste collectors who previously burned pseudostems.