The Coir Board on Friday sought the support of the Sri Lankan government to evolve a joint marketing strategy of collective bargaining in the growing global market for coir and coir products.
The two countries put together account for 80 per cent of the world coir production.
The suggestion was conveyed to the island nation when an official delegation headed by Sri Lankan minister of sports, youth affairs and rural industries and rural development Udalamatta Gamage called on Coir Board chairman VS Vijayaraghavan here.
Setting up of joint ventures in the two countries, technology transfer and sale of Sri Lankan coir fibre to India and India, in turn, manufacturing and marketing value-added coir products meant for global market came up for discussion, a Coir Board release said.
While India’s annual coir fibre production is estimated at 515,500 tonnes with exports covering products like doormats, mattings and carpets, Sri Lankan production is put at 113,300 tones and its exports are in the areas of coir yarn, fibre and coir pith.
The Sri Lankan delegation also visited the Coir Board’s Central Coir Research Institute at Kalavoor, near Alappuzha, and other major production centres.
