“…For these reasons, pulp and paper industries have been facing a shortage of wood-based raw materials ( Kaur et al., 2018 ). In this context, curbed production of forest-based materials along with the amplified demand for pulp and paper production, and environmental fortification awareness have enforced to find out alternate raw material ( Ali and Sreekrishnan, 2000 ; Sharma and Kumar, 1999 ). Nowadays bagasse, rice straw, wheat straw, kenaf, jute, and hemp are considered as non-wood materials in making of paper ( Kaur et al., 2017 ; Sridach, 2010 ) showing better pulp ability, good bleaching ability and excellent fiber content ( Atchison, 1995 ; Jiménez et al., 2008 ).…”