The Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd (FACT) and Coir Board have entered into an MoU for conducting research studies for developing a technology to convert coir pith (a waste in the production of coir from coconut husk) into value added products such as organic fertiliser and filler for fertiliser mixtures. FACT's R&D wing will carry out the research studies.

Mr V.S. Vijayaraghavan, Chairman of Coir Board, formally inaugurated the project at a function held at Udyogamandal FACT. Mr D. Nandakumar, Deputy General Manager, FACT, and Dr U S Sarma, Director, CCRI, exchanged the MoU documents.

Coir pith is an organic matter left behind after extraction of coir fibre from the coconut husk. India generates about seven lakh tonnes of coir pith a year. This was considered a waste and the dumping of it created mounts of wastes leading to environmental pollution.

A process to convert this waste into value added products was discussed at various levels and the culmination of which resulted in FACT R&D Department being entrusted with the task of developing a technology for that.

The Rs 1.5-crore joint venture project of FACT and Coir Board will be completed within three years and the benefits arising out of which will be shared equally between the two parties.

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