Henequen industry in Yucatán

The Henequen industry in Yucatán is an agribusiness of a plant native to Yucatán, Mexico. After extraction from the plant, henequen is processed as a textile in various forms to obtain a range of products for domestic, commercial, agricultural and industrial use. It was exported to America as binder twine for crops in large quantities, and worldwide as rope for mooring ships, cloth for sacks, and other uses. It was a major regional industry from the time of the Maya civilization until the mid 20th century. The invention of synthetic fibers and the manufacturing of substitute products from these displaced henequen and sisal fibers and led to the decline of the industry over the course of the 20th century.

In addition to its fiber, the juice extracted from the henequen plant can be made into a liquor similar to tequila. Certain steroidal chemicals used in the pharmaceutical industry are also derived from its juice.