Allo fibre is extracted from Allo sisnu, a species of the giant stinging nettle Girdardina Diversifolia, which is a perennial wild plant that grows at an altitude of between 900 and 2,500 metres above sea level. The Allo fibre is harvested each year in autumn from the bark of the Allo sisnu plant. Allo fibre is extracted from Allo sisnu, a species of the giant stinging nettle Girdardina Diversifolia, which is a perennial wild plant that grows at an altitude of between 900 and 2,500 metres above sea level. The Allo fibre is harvested each year in autumn from the bark of the Allo sisnu plant. One year old shoots from the plant are cut and dried and the bark is peeled and cooked to extract the fibre, while the inner system left after the bark is removed is used for firewood. The fibre is then made into yarn, which can be dyed and woven into fabric using handlooms. Allo thread, a product from nature, grown in forests, is incredibly versatile. It is used for clothing, making bags, and handicrafts. It is increasingly replacing wool as the base raw material for weaving carpets because it is durable and natural. Almost 120 metric tons of Allo yarn or 80% of the total Allo production per year is consumed by the carpet industry. Allo thread- weaving provides excellent business and employment opportunities for the landless, marginalized and small scale farmers. Since the weaving of Allo thread involves mostly women, this kind of enterprise has been instrumental in empowering them economically and socially.
