Sisal is a fibre crop growing in the tropics. The main producers in Africa are: Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania.The production area under sisal in South Africa is 17 000 ha.The sisal plants are grown organically and absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere all year round. They have a very low water requirement and survive droughts that kill other crops. For this reason farmers are being encouraged to grow them as a way to cope with climate change.  The fact that the sisal leaves can be harvested at any time of year is also good for the farmers’ cash flow. The total annual production of sisal fibre varies, depending on demand, climatic conditions and cultivation therefore using fertilizers plays an important role.