Indian govt to set up coir 'fibre bank' in Kerala

25 Jul '12

2 min read

Coir Board, functioning under the aegis of Government of India, will set up a ‘fibre bank’ in Alappuzha district of the south Indian state of Kerala.

The fibre bank is being set up to address the issue of dearth of coir fibre in the Kerala market, Coir Board Chairman, G Balachandran, said.

The Board would purchase fibre from Tamil Nadu and supply the same to Kerala-based small-scale entrepreneurs and societies engaged in value addition.

The fibre bank would be set up with an initial investment of Rs. 2.5 million, and it is proposed to run on a not-for-profit basis, Mr. Balachandran said.

A limit would be set for supplying coir to the individuals, however, there would be no such limit for the societies, said Mr. Balachandran.

He informed that Tamil Nadu coir has a capacity to survive for about three to four months, without any decay problems.

For the first time this year, the Coir Board would be organizing an exhibition on the theme of new trends and technology in the coir industry, where experts would share their knowledge on the new scientific and technological developments in the coir industry, Mr. Balachandran said.

Intending to draw the youth to the coir industry, the Board is planning to impart training in coir to 20,000 youth and setting up 17,000 small-scale coir industries in the state.

The Board has recommended inclusion of coir in the national fibre policy, which would prove to be of great help in enhancing coir exports to leading markets, according to Mr. Balachandran.

The Board intends to promote coir composite boards, coir pith, coir geo-textiles, coir ornaments and coir spinning machines in near future, he mentioned.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

More Coir Board News... More Textiles News - India...