importance, being harvested for its fibre, once generally called Manila hemp, extracted from the large, oblongleaves and stems. On average, the plant grows about 20 feet (6 meters) tall. The fibre is used for making twines and ropes as well as theM anila

Abac\u00e1 was first cultivated on a large scale inS umatra in 1925 under theDutch, who had
observed its cultivation in the Philippines forcordage since the 1800s, followed up by
plantings in Central America sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture[1 ].
Commercial planting began in 1930 in British North Borneo; with the commencement of
WWII, the supply from the Philippines was eliminated by theJ apanes e[1].

Abaca fibers were already being woven into breathable fabrics and made
into sturdy sandals in different parts of the Philippines long before the
Spaniards came to the Philippines in 1521. The abaca is believed to have
evolved in the Bicol region of the Philippines.

Volcanic area like the provinces of Albay and Camarines Sur in the Bicol
Region are suited for abaca cultivation. The Philippines' tropical climate,
rich volcanic soils and high to moderate rain fall are particularly appropriate
to the growing of the abaca plant.

In 1820, a US Navy lieutenant brought abaca fiber samples to the United
States. Soon after, an export shipment of abaca was made to Salem,
Massachusetts under the product name of simply "Manila", since the
Philippines was then more known by the name of its capital city, Manila.
After the opening of the port of Manila in 1834, the Americans became the
largest importer of abaca. The American navy used abaca rope because it
had a remarkable tensile strength as it was more resistant to salt water
decomposition than most vegetable fibers. In fact, it was and still is the
strongest of all natural fibers. These qualities were appreciated by other
foreign shipping companies as well.

Up to the late 19th century, there were 12 different varieties of abaca.
Each variety has its certain advantageous qualities, depending on its use.
Prior to 1915, there was not a definitive standard for grading the Philippine
abaca fibers. Standards were introduced in that year and have since been
amended several times principally in 1927 and in 1975.

Originally, commercial production of the abaca fiber was confined to the
Philippines because abaca is a plant material that is government regulated.
In about 1521, shipments of abaca root stocks were introduced into many
different tropical countries, including fairly large plantings in Sumatra,
Indonesia, in India, Andaman Islands, the West Indies and Central
America. Small abaca plantings were also made in Borneo.

By 1925, the US Department of Agriculture officials attempted to grow
abaca in the Central American countries of Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala,
and the Honduras by sending a shipment of propagating material of the
superior varieties of abaca to said countries. Yet despite some experimental
planting and efforts to expand the industry in 1931, 1939 and 1942 in
several other central American countries, it remained relatively
insignificant. It was only at the end of World War that a Japanese named
Furukawa was successful in cultivating abaca elsewhere, in Ecuador.

While other plant materials like seeds and flowers are freely shared among
countries. particularly among research centers, the abaca plant is a
restricted material and government regulated. Thus, if a country other than
the Philippines claims to grow abaca, DNA testing will always trace its
origin to the Philippines.