Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Coir industry is opening up new avenues in the application of its products and is moving to Pan India with the popularisation of the schemes and services available, thereby providing employment opportunities and also the products and its applications. Coir industry, which was concentrated in the State of Kerala, has now been proliferated to other parts of the country also, with the efforts made by the Coir Board.
Coir Board was set up under the Coir Industry Act, 1953, by the Government of India, for the overall sustainable development of coir industry in the Country. The functions of the Board, as laid down under the Act, include undertaking, assisting, and encouraging scientific, technological and economic research, modernisation, quality improvement, human resource development, market promotion and welfare of all those who are engaged in this industry.
The Headquarters of the Board is located at Coir House, M G Road, Kochi, Kerala, and is running 48 establishments including 29 marketing outlets across the country. For the last more than 60 years Coir Board is steering the industry and the industry today plays a vital role in the economic development of rural areas of the country, according to a PIB release.
The functions mandated under the Coir Industry Act are carried out by Coir Board under the various Schemes/Programmes, including research and development activities, training programmes, extending financial support for setting up of coir units, domestic as well as export market development, welfare measures to the workers etc. Coir industry sustains more than 7 lakh of coir workers, predominantly women, in different States of the country.
It is estimated that around 80% of the work force in the industry are women and it plays a vital role in rural women empowerment of many coastal districts of the country.There are 1,570 registered coir exporters in the country.
The export of Coir and Coir products from India during the year 2020-21 registered an all time high record of Rs 3,778.98 crore with an increase of over Rs 1,021 crore from the previous year. The increase in value works out to 37% in comparison with 2019-20 figures. Coir Board is focused to achieve Rs 7,000 crore of coir exports in a couple of years. Under PMEGP (Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme), Coir Units have been started in different states of the country.
Coir Products are eco friendly in nature and gained “Eco Mark” certification by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. Of India. Coir products save environment and help reverse Global Warming. “Coir pith” is used to save water while “Coir Geotextiles” used to save soil. “Coir Wood” used to save trees and forest.
Coir industry is opening up new avenues in the application of its products and is moving to Pan India with the popularisation of the schemes and services available, thereby providing employment opportunities and also the products and their applications.