The Coir Industry
Coir industry is a traditional, labour intensive, export oriented,
agro based cottage industry. The industry originated in the State
of Kerala centuries ago and over the years it has spread over to
other coconut growing States like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, etc. Coconut husk which was
considered as a throw away material of the coconut is the basic
raw material of this industry. The industry therefore generates
wealth from waste. The industry employs more than half a million
people and majority of them are from rural areas and belonging
to economically weaker sections of the Society. 80% of the
workforces are women. The industry is of great significance to
the coconut producing States of India as coconut husk, the raw
material for Coir industry, is available in abundance in regions of
concentrated cultivation and this can be used for generation of
income to a sizeable amount of population with relatively low
investment. Coir industry is an export oriented industry and coir
and coir products are exported to more than eighty countries all
over the world. Coir fiber is extracted from the outer cover of
coconut known as Coconut husk either by a process known as
retting, practiced in the State of Kerala or by mechanical
decortications in vogue in States other than Kerala. The fiber
extracted from green coconut husks by the process of retting is
known as ‘white fiber’ and the fiber extracted from dry husks/
green husks through machineries is known as ‘brown fiber’. The
fiber is spun into coir yarn and a wide range of coir products are
produced out of coir yarn. In Kerala, the coir manufacturing and
its export is generally concentrated in some major areas.
Ernakulam, Cherthala, Alappuzha, Kayamkulam and Kollam are
the important among them.
The Coir Board
The Coir Board was set up under the Coir Industry Act, 1953 by
the Government of India, for the overall sustainable development
of the Coir industry in India. The functions of the Board as laid
down under the Act include undertaking, assisting and
encouraging scientific, technological and economic research,
modernization, quality improvement, human resource
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development, market promotion and welfare of all those who
are engaged in this industry. With the concerted efforts of the
Coir Board and the State Governments concerned, the production
of coir fiber in the major coconut producing States have been
making a steady progress during the past three decades. In the
wake of globalization and liberalization, the Board has assumed
the role of a promoter and facilitator rather than that of a
regulator. The Coir Board, the apex body for promotion of coir in
the country, has completed fifty years of its service to the Indian
Coir Industry. For the coming years the Board has lined up a host
of promotional activities. Product based marketing missions will
be sent to selected potential markets abroad besides undertaking
generic publicity through selected trade magazines. Participation
in more international exhibitions is another area for pushing
exports. Efforts are also under way to encourage exporters for
better utilization of provisions under the Market Development
Assistance Scheme. This can boost existing markets as well as
explore new ones. The results of the effort made by the Board
had seen record achievements in export and domestic markets
during 2010-11. The Board has entered a contract with DGS & D,
Government of India in order to promote domestic market. On
receipt of the contract, the Board is looking forward for a leap
jump in the domestic market avenue. Government of India has
sanctioned a new scheme with a total outlay of Rs 243 crores.
The scheme is called Rejuvenation, Modernization and
Technology Upgradation of the Coir Industry (REMOT). The
project will get a government grant of Rs 99 crores during the
XIth Plan period. The scheme aims at the integration and
development of units which are in the small and medium
sector. The scheme would provide more employment
opportunities for women in the rural sector for gender
empowerment. Individual outlay for the spinning and tiny/
household sector is Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively. This
scheme envisages covering 4000 spinning units and 3200 house
hold units during the XI plan period, all over India. Government
also aims at more profitable and sustained employment for
traditional industry artisans and rural entrepreneurs through the