The country’s coir and coir product exports have registered a 32 per cent growth in FY14, touching a record high of ₹1,476 crore against the ₹1,116 crore in the previous year.

China topped the list of importers, accounting for 24.42 per cent of total Indian exports of coir and products, overtaking the US, which had been the top buyer in the previous fiscal, G Balachandran, Chairman, Coir Board, said.

Expressing concern over the large scale export of coir fibre to China, he urged the Government to take urgent steps to export value-added products to China instead of exporting raw materials.

In volume terms, coir exports increased to 5,37,040 tonnes in FY14 from 4,29,501 tonnes in the previous fiscal, a growth of 25 per cent.

In FY14, a total of 1,92,110 tonnes of coir fibre, valued at ₹360.5 crore, was exported to China. About 55,091 tonnes of coir products valued at ₹300 crore were exported to the US during the period.

Coir fibre, yarn, tufted coir matting, geo-textiles and coir pith have shown an increase in exports. Of the total fibre production in the country, about 60 per cent has been contributed by Tamil Nadu.

The Board, he said, has evolved certain schemes in association with the coconut farmers federation to enhance fibre production from Kerala, considering the low collection of husks from the State in the recent times.

Kerala’s share in exports of coir products has been progressively declining in the last few years. During 2009-10, the State’s share in total exports of coir products was 27 per cent in quantity and 62 per cent in value, which has since dwindled to 14 per cent and 52 per cent respectively in 2013-14.

Kerala’s share in total exports was only ₹709.58 crore. In terms of quantity, out of the total 5,37,040 tonnes of coir and coir products exported, Kerala accounted for only 73,665 tonnes.

As Kerala is the cradle of the coir industry, the Chairman requested the State Government to take immediate steps to restructure the industry.

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