What is the history and origin of sisal fiber?

The use of sisal fiber in making cordage has been seen in the prehistoric era. After which they were also used in making bags, netting, and clothes. The sharp and strong tip of the sisal leaf was also used as a needle with the fiber attached to it. While sewing if the fiber runs out then more fibers were attached through the process called splicing.

The origin of sial can be traced back to the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico where it is known by the Mayan name Yaxci. Sisal was called ‘sosquil’ and ‘green gold’. There was a seaport town in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico called Porto do Sisal, after which the name sisal came. This seaport was the main port of Yucatan during the henequen boom and sisal fiber was shipped from this port. Until the twentieth century, the cultivation of sisal plants was mainly limited to the region of Mexico. It was introduced in Tanzania in 1893 and in Brazil around 1900. The commercial plantation of sisal plants began in the late 1930s in Brazil. And at the present time, Brazil is the major sisal fiber producer followed by Tanzania and Kenya.