By Carla Burgess

• Introduction
• Developing Markets: Greene Natural Fibers
• Advantages and Uses
• Limitations and Goals
• Kenaf Facts
• Download the full article as a

Advantages and Uses

Kenaf and North Carolina appear to be a match made in heaven. A tropical plant native to Africa, kenaf flourishes in regions with high humidity, loamy soils, abundant rainfall and a long growing season. Kenaf also may have found an ideal cultural and economic climate in which to grow. The kenaf industry in North Carolina is emerging at a time when tobacco farmers are struggling to hold on to their livelihoods in the face of slashed subsidies, price supports and allotments.

“Kenaf is making it—absent any kind of subsidies,” says Skillicorn. “That’s an incredible home run in agriculture today.”

Another significant advantage of growing kenaf in eastern North Carolina is the skill and expertise of tobacco farmers who may choose to diversify, he says. They are reputed for their ability to follow the stringent protocols that are required to produce a superior crop. Kenaf must be “retted” in the field, a necessarily precise drying period in which the inner fiber begins to loosen from the outer bark. Once in the processing facility, the bast is mechanically separated from the core.

“Our processing plant is very analogous to a cotton gin,” says Andy Moye, a kenaf grower and GNF’s agricultural production manager. The separated fibers are then baled and formed into pellets for second-tier manufacturers who will further refine the product for their specific use.

It’s hard to imagine that what looks like a pile of fluff could be so sophisticated in its usefulness. For instance, when the core is ground to a fine powder, the material can bind to and filter contaminants from wastewater. Skillicorn calls this substance the “poor man’s activated carbon.” The product is foremost in new technology-related markets GNF is seeking. Meanwhile, GNF has partnered with the nearby town of Farmville to apply this sludge-activation method in a demonstration project. Core fibers could be similarly used as a biological agent in cleaning up oil spills and other environmental pollutants.

Skillicorn says GNF doesn’t plan to expand into the pulping of fibers for paper production. Such an enterprise is costly and risky, as it is difficult for kenaf to compete reliably with tree pulp on a large scale. However, he can envision supplying “boutique markets” once the company has tens of thousands of acres of crop supplying its primary target markets. For now the farmed acreage in North Carolina is relatively small. In the 2002-2003 season, kenaf was grown on 4,500 acres in Greene, Pitt and Wilson counties.

The company will continue to select and pursue high-value applications for its fibers. The fibers can be used as fillers and extenders in composite lumber or particle board; reinforced plastics and other synthetic products; potting soil; and even pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Kenaf also has an environmentally friendly appeal. It is a natural, organic and renewable resource. It provides high yield without significant irrigation. And it can be recycled.

“Automotive panels made with kenaf are recyclable and also much safer than some of the plastics,” says Moye. “On impact, it crushes like an egg carton as opposed to breaking into shards of plastic.”

In the automotive industry, kenaf could grow into an unparalleled product.

“Detroit is always looking for ways to make things lighter and cheaper,” says Moye. “Almost all of the major automobile companies are focusing on natural fibers. You’ve already got coconut fibers in the seats of BMWs.”