The Kerala government has announced an overhaul of its husk procurement scheme to meet a long-standing demand from the coir industry to address shortage of raw materials.
The new scheme will equip workers in the sector to create a vast procurement network through various incentives and utilise as much of the 600 crore of coconut husk that the State produces annually, Adoor Prakash, Kerala’s Revenue Minister said.
The shortage of coconut husk, the basic raw material for coir production, is one of the biggest challenges faced by Kerala. Schemes were introduced in 2010 and 2012 to streamline husk procurement, but they have not yielded the desired results. Under the new scheme, individuals who bring raw husk for processing at accredited fibre making units will be given incentive at the rate of 25 paise for every green husk and 15 paise for dry husk.
Coir cooperatives who procure the husk directly or through agents will be provided transport costs of ₹250 for every 5,000 husks and ₹50 for every additional 1,000 husks.
Workers in cooperatives that use de-fibering machines will receive, in addition to their wages, incentives at the rate of ₹160 for every 400 green husks they procure and ₹20 for every additional 50 husks. For dry husk, the rate will be ₹150 for every 600 dry husks and ₹25 for every addition 100 husks.
The government will also subsidise coir fibre at ₹3/kg for green husk and ₹2 for dry husk.