The MSME Ministry has made efforts to promote coir production in other states in the country, Narayan Rane, Union Minister for MSME, has said.
Towards achieving this objective, he said the Government had taken numerous initiatives to popularise coir for consumer and industrial use, especially as a replacement for many non-degradable products.
The coir industry employs over 7 lakh people in the rural areas of the coconut growing states. More interestingly, 80 per cent of these artisans are women, but its production has been confined to the southern coconut producing states/UTs in the country, he added.
The Minister inaugurated the ‘Enterprise India National Coir Conclave 2022’ being organised under the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav at Coimbatore.
Rane pointed out that coir has immense potential and can play an instrumental role in enhancing exports and adding to MSME’s share in GDP. Coir is a good example of ‘waste to wealth’, which provides a sustainable solution, as it is eco-friendly and helps conservation of water and soil.
The Enterprise India National Coir Conclave has been organised by the MSME Ministry and the Coir Board to bring together the Centre and the states to discuss ways and means to harness the latest technological developments for adoption in the coir industry to increase exports.
Coir industry awards were distributed to 44 manufacturing/exporting units. Coir Board also introduced new coir products like coir composite fruit bowl, geotextile shadow lamp, coir buttons, auto mirror covers made of coir, flat rectangular tray, certificate holder, as well as released manual of technologies for coir, books on coir pith, geotextiles and coir floor furnishing.
Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, the Minister of State for MSME, said that organising the event is to bring about a co-ordinated effort between the state and Central Government to promote the production of coir and coir products and to identify new areas of application of coir. It would provide a permanent base for the Central and the concerned state governments to work in a co-ordinated manner to promote and develop coir industry.
e.o.m.