Non-food agri-fibre processing is an important sector in a diversified agricultural industry. Finding new uses for surplus material is environmentally and economically sound. Some Saskatchewan-produced agricultural fibres include: 

• flax straw and fibre for textiles and industrial goods; and
• wheat straw for composite strawboard, pulp, insulation, and geotextile  

Processors use agricultural fibre in plastic composites, insulation materials, and as a substitute for traditional wood products and synthetic fibres. Globally, the leading bast fibre (strong, woody fibres) crops are flax, hemp, kenaf, ramie and jute.

The panel board industry is a worldwide growth area, and analysts expect the markets, which rely on the strength of the North American economy, to continue their recent expansion. Straw and wood panel board plants are in various stages of development across the continent and several groups have expressed interest in Saskatchewan. Environmental sustainability of annual crop production is a contributing factor in the movement from wood to straw particleboard.

Key sector trends in the agri-fibre industry include:

• increased use of agri-fibre in new and innovative products such as car door panels, plant pots, and retaining mats, as well as continued use for fine bond paper and particleboard panels. (Source: Flax Council of Canada)
• environmental concerns driving producers to find alternatives to burning surplus flax straw such as processing straw for fibre. (Source: Western Economic Diversification Canada)
• increased interest and pressure to find alternate fuel sources will increase the demand for agri-fibre. New technology is providing opportunities to produce ethanol from cellulosic feedstock, such as agricultural residues (straw) and forestry products (wood chips and other wood residue). (Source:  Canadian Renewable Fuels Association)

 The leading markets for bast fibre is in fibre-reinforcements for composites including:

• thermoplastics;
• insulation;
• pallets;
• automotive non-woven;
• cement-fibre products (roofing shingles and siding products);
• specialty paper products (currency paper, fine papers, and filter papers); and
• selected building materials.

(Source:  Canadian Agri-value Interests in the Canadian Standards Strategy, Western Economic Diversification Canada)

Currently Saskatchewan produces about 1 million acres of flax for industrial, food and feed uses. A small portion of flax straw is processed into fibre and related products. A small number of private companies are active in non-food fibre processing and research in the province. Some are using fibre as a component to blend with raw materials, while others utilize fibre as their primary raw material.

In 2001, Saskatchewan harvested over 1.1 million acres of flax (69 per cent of Canada's total harvest) and 550,000 metric tonnes of straw. Of the flax straw produced, approximately seven to ten percent was processed for fibre. Saskatchewan also processes a small portion of residual cereal straw. Currently, all hemp production in Saskatchewan is for seed, which processors crush for oil. However, there is potential for hemp fibre processing in the future.

Saskatchewan companies are using fibre to produce insulating panels for the automotive industry, wood substitutes and egg trays. Urban Forest Recyclers in Swift Current is developing a process to integrate canary seed and/or flax straw as a fibre strengthener into the recycled material used to make commercial egg trays. To date, they have successfully utilized canary seed straw and are targeting an incorporation rate of 25 per cent agricultural straw residue into their products. Urban Forest Recyclers control about 40 per cent of the entire egg tray market in North America and exports almost 90 per cent of its products to the United States.

NuForm Packaging in Tisdale uses recycled paper to make commercial apple trays. Recently, the company has been searching for new products to market and is testing a flax-straw based ring for the base of orchard trees to prevent roots from sprouting.

Parkland Panel Products in Kamsack uses wheat straw to produce a high-quality particleboard panel.Parkland's mill, which was completed in March 2002, features state-of-the-art panel processing equipment. Parkland has teamed up with Panel Source International, a Canadian company, to market its products worldwide.

Biolin Research in Saskatoon has been developing a process that uses flax straw in linen production and other products for the textile and geotextile market. This research and development firm has done extensive work perfecting the fibre extraction process for flax and is looking towards the future production of textile products for the international marketplace.

Other potential markets for non-food fibre products include:

• fine textiles (linen from long line fibre flax);
• other textiles (cottonized flax fibre);
• straw board (currently produced from wheat straw in Manitoba);
• pulp (for specialty and archival papers);
• insulation (replacement for glass fibres);
• geotextiles (fabrics that come in contact with the earth such as erosion control mats);
• absorbency products (personal hygiene);
• decking (wood substitutes for exterior use); and
• tiles (slate substitute).

Saskatchewan also has additional research capacity in fibre processing through the Department of Bio-Resource Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon and the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) in Humboldt.

There is a large potential for expansion within the flax processing industry. (Source:  Western Economic Diversification Canada) As flax straw is a difficult residue to manage, producers burn a significant amount each year.  Environmental pressure to reduce crop residue burning is encouraging fibre processing in Saskatchewan.