Coir exports likely to rise 16% this year

Exports of Indian coir products are seen up around 16 per cent on year in the financial year to March, Coir Board Chairman A C Jose said.

"We are expecting to touch Rs 700 crore from the export of coir products this financial year. Last year, we achieved exports of Rs 605 crore," Jose told NewsWire18.

Going by the current trend, coir exports are seen touching Rs 1,000 crore by 2009, he said.

Jose conceded that like other export sectors, coir exports have also taken a hit because of the rupee's appreciation.

"The appreciating rupee has adversely affected the exports of coir products. I have written to Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, urging him to include the coir sector in its plans to provide sector-specific measures, to tide over rupee appreciation and decline in exports."

New initiatives
The Coir Board is in the process of launching a new loan scheme called 'Golden Fibre Plus' with assistance from the State Bank of Travancore. Under the scheme, SBT will provide loans of up to Rs 35,000 to coir workers to construct spinning sheds and procure raw material and equipment.

The board would also give a 25 per cent subsidy on the loan amount and the workers will have to repay only Rs 25,000 over a 7-year period for a maximum loan of Rs 35,000.

"Coir workers, who are mainly women, have to spin the fibre in scorching heat or heavy rains and this decreases their productivity. By giving them loans to construct sheds, the Coir Board is in a way, aiding them to increase their productivity," the chairman said.

As a part of its strategy to promote coir products in the domestic market, the board has also tied up with Indian Oil Corporation to market coir products through its retail outlets. The scheme was inaugurated on October 31 in Kochi.

"Instead of solely depending on export trade, the coir industry could thrive if domestic market is revitalised. This is a step towards promoting coir in the domestic market. Starting from the IOC outlets in Kerala, we will try and emulate this across the country in a phased manner," Jose said.

Products galore
One of the latest coir-based products is coir ply, for which the coir board has developed the technology. Coir ply, is a ply made out of coir and impregnated with phenolic resin and timber veneers.

The eco-friendly ply is a better substitute of teak ply, the manufacturing of which requires cutting down trees. Coir ply is strong, termite and insect resistant, flame retardant, and water resistant and can be used in making furniture, ceilings, corrugated roofs and display panels.

Another innovative coir based product is 'Cocolawn', the transportable lawn. Protected by trademark and patented, 'Cocolawn' has been developed with the use of coir geo-textiles, coir needled felt, coir pith and coir pith organic manure. This lawn can easily be rolled up and transported.

It has been developed on a soil less medium at the Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI), Alapuzha, Kerala, under the aegis of the Coir Board.

Cocolawn has already found an international buyer in Madh Mak International Real Estate LLC of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, which acquired this technology through the National Research Development Corporation for a one-time payment of $22,000 (Rs 864,380).

The Coir Board chairman pointed out that this was the second occasion that a foreign company had purchased a technology developed by the board. In August last year, a Kuwait-based company purchased the technology developed by the board for converting coir pith into organic manure, by paying $44,000 (Rs 1,728,760).

Coir pith, which is also known as coir dust or coco peat, is the powder that comes from the husk of a coconut and is becoming one of the most popular growing mediums in the world.

Geo-textile is another internationally acclaimed coir-based product. This product has optimum strength to hold soil in place in slopes and cuttings for a period just enough for the natural vegetation to take over the task of preventing erosion.

The fibre decomposes slowly and eventually disintegrates, leaving nothing but humus. Geo-textiles are being used to prevent soil erosion and guard against landslides inside mines in Bellary, Karnataka, and in the hills of the northeast.

Geo-textiles have been used by the Konkan Railway to pack the soil in place and prevent sinking during the monsoon, Jose said.

"South Africa, which has a lot of mines, faces severe problem of soil erosion, so the country is especially interested in coir geo-textiles," the Coir Board chief said.

Business viability
To cash in on the commercial viability of coir industry, the Coir Board is organising the second India International Coir Fair at Kochi, from December 7-11. The IICF, which is being co-sponsored by the ministry of commerce, aims to reinforce the commercial alliance between India and the world, in the coir sector.

Jose said around 80 buyers from more than 20 countries have confirmed their participation in the event. "The sky is the limit for this industry now, and this international event will surely propel the industry to its pinnacle," Jose said.