PONTIAN: Once discarded as agricultural waste, pineapple leaves have been transformed into “green gold” by an entrepreneur.
Munah Kadir, 55, from Kampung Rimba Terjun here, has successfully turned the waste into premium-quality pineapple fibre yarn with a market value reaching thousands of ringgit.
Since 2007, the Pontian native has turned pineapple fibre into yarn and a range of downstream products, including keychains, handbags and woven fabrics.
“The value of pineapple fibre yarn is high, with prices reaching up to RM900 per kg. Sales are largely supported by the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM), as well as educational institutions that require pineapple fibre for learning purposes.
Munah said the process begins by selecting leaves from mature pineapple plants to ensure stronger fibres that are less prone to breakage.
“We usually select leaves from MD2, Josapine and Gandul varieties, picking those from the second layer of the plant. On average, I collect about 800 leaves a day,” she said to Bernama.
Sourcing leaves from pineapple growers in Air Baloi and Puteri Menangis, Munah said the work requires care and precision.
“There are many challenges. The thorny leaves can cause injuries during harvesting. I also face the risk of encountering venomous animals.”
Munah uses a specially crafted wooden tool to extract the fibres, a process that must be completed within five days of harvesting to maintain quality.
The extracted fibres are dried, stored or dyed according to customer orders.
“A single leaf produces less than one metre of fibre, so special techniques are used to produce to the required length of yarn for sale,” said Munah, who has produced pineapple fibre yarn measuring up to 20m in length.
She said the yarn can last up to 30 years without preservatives if stored properly and kept away from direct sunlight.
“Products with stitching or embroidery made from pineapple fibre yarn cannot be washed like ordinary fabrics. They must be dry-cleaned, just like songket, because the fibres are delicate and entirely handcrafted.”
Despite growing demand, the recipient of the 2022 Johor Islamic Religious Council Asnaf Icon Award has no plans to adopt automated technology or machinery, preferring to preserve the authenticity and quality of her products.
Munah said agencies such as LPNM had supported her through entrepreneurship courses, product development programmes, promotion and market access.
“This gives me the motivation to continue elevating pineapple fibre yarn as one of Pontian’s icons, a district renowned as the nation’s ‘pineapple town’, and hopefully establish it as one of the country’s valuable heritage products.”
