• Cultivated area : 10.000 à 15.000 ha
  2014 : 10.000 ha 
  
  
•  Location of the cultivation:
  1/3 Flanders
  2/3 Wallonia
  
  
• Number of involved farms : 700

• Number of scutching companies : 45 
  
  
• Processed area / year : +-13.000 ha ( +- 90.000 ton flax straw) 
  
  
• Origines of the flax straw :
  Belgium 10.000 ha
  France 2.500 ha
  Netherlands 500 ha
  
  
• Output fibre and by-products ( Tons/year ) :  
  scutched flax ( long fiber ) : 20.000                      
  short fibres ( tow) : 10.000                                  
  linseed: 9.000                                                                    
  shives: 42.000 
  
  
• France + Belgium + the Netherlands = 85% - 90% of the worldwide flax production
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• volume :  156.902 tons 
  
  
• value:  176,3 million €
  
  
• export surplus : 89,6 million €
  
  

• In Flanders approx. 2.000 people are involved in the cultivation , processing ( scutching) , trading , spinning and weaving of flax fibres.
   
• If we also take into account companies indirectly linked with the flax sector ( machine makers , traders , linseed processors , ..) then the total flax value-chain employment grows to approx 3.000 employees.

• In 2013 almost 4,8 mio Euro investments were initiated in Flanders/Belgium. 
  
  
• Besides continuous investment in agricultural machinery to increase the cultivation yield , investments were also made in internal logistics and material handling equipment. 
  
  
• The further automation of the scutching lines and the expansion of the storage capacity do represent also big chunks out of the yearly investment budgets.

• Continuous Innovation is paramount for our sector ! Over the last years a renewed interest has been recorded for our flax fibre aiming for different new ( sometimes high-tech ) applications . This renewed interest can best be seen in the context of a continuous industrial shift towards a bio- based , more circular and greener economy. . 
  
  
• The flax fibre has not only a limited ecological footprint , but represents in addition new functionalities ( specific stiffness , weight savings , damping characteristics , ..) for innovative material applications. The end-of-life material considerations of the flax fibre are excellent as well.
  
  
• ABV is in “pole position” to co- steer and co-guide these exciting new developments

• Low need of fertilisers and crop protection 
  
  
• Good rotation crop 
  
  
• No irrigation necessary
   
• CO2-storage 
  
  
• Zero waste

 
Textile ( yarns/fabrics) :

• clothing
  
  
• furnishing fabrics
  
  
• household textiles
  
  
• technical use ( strings/ropes/…)                                                  

 Non-textile :

• composite – “prepregs” 
  
  
• unidirectional applications 

Textile ( yarns /fabrics) :

• id. long fibres + blended yarns
  
  
  

Non-textile :

• paper-making
  
  
• insulation materials
  
  
• car components
  
  
• other applications

Sowing seeds

Other

• human nourishment (e.g. bread) 
  
  
• health care (internal and external use)
  
  
• animal feed
  
  
• Industrial use(oil); paint industry, linoleum, ink, soap, ...
  

Applications:

• Litter (esp. stables)
  
  
• Particle boards
  
  
• Building industrie ( stone, insulation, plastering, … ) 
  
  
• Soil cover & soil improvement 
  
  
• Etc.

• Optimal growing conditions (soil, weather)
  
  
• Know-how 
  
  
• ‘Close to home’-supply 
  
  
• Renewable resource 
  
  
• Ecologically sound 
  
  
• ….