another system is used in nepal. there the trunk of the banana plant is harvested instead. small pieces of this trunk are then softened. the fibres are extracted mechanically, bleached, and dried. they are then sent to the kathmandu valley, where high-end rugs are produced. these rugs have a texture and general qualities similar to that of silk. these banana fibre rugs are woven by traditional nepalese hand-knotted methods.