The national ramie-flax industrial summit was held in Beijing from December 9-10. Corresponding experts from agricultural and industrial production, research and commercial circles attended the meeting to discuss ramie-flax-linen industrial development.

Experts agreed that the basic way out for China's ramie-flax industrial development lies in the interconnection of agriculture and industry and technological breakthrough in the two sectors.

The government should intensify support to the agricultural sector so to raise raw materials quality, and upgrade technology.

On industrial side, the government should accelerate technical upgrading of ramie/linen textile processing into a high-tech industry and to increase the added value of ramie/linen textile products, meanwhile raise their exporting ability.

Currently China’s area under ramie and flax cultivation reaches 797,000 hectares, of which, flax and Ramie cultivation area are of 160,000 hectares and 130,000 hectares, with production of 470,000 tons and 245,000 tons, respectively.

Ramie and flax fiber processing volume reaches 600,000 tons, equivalent to 10 percent of cotton fiber processing. At present ramie processing capacity are 750,000 spindles, and flax processing capacity are over 800,000 spindles.

It is expected that by the end of the ‘Eleventh Five-Year’ Plan, China will achieve three major breakthroughs in the development, which are to surpass US $2 billion inexports, to exceed 100 billion yuan in GDP, to reach 1.5 million tons of processed output, ramie and flax fiber use amounts to 20 percent of cotton consumption.

China's ramie and flax industry performs well in development. Regional distribution is moving towards the direction of predominate industries, ramie and linen industries are changing from low-grade products to mid and-high-end products.
 
 
Fibre2fashion, News Desk - China