The State Government will hold a detailed discussion with the concerned Union Ministers and officials in Delhi on the urgent steps to be taken to alleviate the problems afflicting the State's traditional coir sector , the State Minister for Coir and Health, Mr Adoor Prakash, has said.
Speaking after releasing the survey report funded by the Small Industries Bank of India (SIDBI) on ‘Coir Fibre Scenario-2011,' he said the Government is studying the problems of the export-oriented industry and as part of it, he has had discussions with the Coir Board Chairman, exporters and others.
He was also planning to visit Delhi on July 31 to meet the Union Commerce and MSME Ministers to seek the Centre's support .
Low wages
Concurring with the survey report on the growing raw material shortage and migration of labour to other areas of activity due to the prevailing low wage structure in the coir sector, Mr Prakash said these were the main issues that need to be tackled urgently to sustain the momentum of growth in coir exports which crossed Rs 807 crore last year.
The Coir Board Secretary, Mr M. Kumararaja, received the first copy of the report from the Minister at the function organised by the Alappuzha BDS, the coir cluster-based service project, also funded by SIDBI.
The Minister also launched a new mini coir spinning machine, brought out by a Bangalore-based company that is capable of enhancing production of quality yarn required for the coir tufting industry.
He said the Government would consider supplying such machines free of cost to coir workers in the BPL category, if its performance is found satisfactory.
Project activities
Mr Jagat Shah, Project Director, Alapuzha BDS and Chief Mentor, Cluster Pulse, the implementing agency of the project, explained the four years of the project activities undertaken within the Alapuzha Coir Cluster.
Raw material bank
The Project Manager, Mr Pankaj Ahair, said setting up of a raw material bank for the coir industry was one of the major recommendations of the two year-long SIDBI funded survey carried out in the coir sector in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which has become a major source of raw material for the Kerala industry.