A sum of ₹68 crore has been set aside for the integrated development of the coir industry, according to Coir Board Chairman Surendranath Tripathi.

He was delivering the keynote address at the inauguration of national seminar at the Coir Kerala 2015 trade expo.

Pointing out that mechanisation needs to be implemented effectively for increasing productivity in the coir sector, he also noted that coconut cultivation needs to be made profitable to sustain the industry.

He promised the board's support for Kerala's coir sector and urged the workers and entrepreneurs to take advantage of the central welfare schemes such as Coir Udyami Yojana and Coir Vikas Yojana.

The Kerala Coir Workers Welfare Fund Board (KCWWFB) Chairman, A K Rajan, who presented a paper on the impact of technology upgradation on coir workers, said there was a pressing need to attract skilled young people into the sector.

He recommended that schools in coastal areas, where this traditional industry is based, offer hour-long training sessions every week to students equipping them with skills to make coir and allied products. Experts from the Coir Department could help with the training process.

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