Our Bureau
The export of coir and coir products from India registered an all-time high of ₹ 3778.98 crore in 2020-21, registering an increase of 37 per cent over exports in the previous fiscal.
"Coir Board is focused to achieve ₹ 7000 crores of coir exports in a couple of years," according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME)
Women empowerment
Under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, coir units have been started in different States of the country, the statement added.
"Coir industry sustains more than 7 lakh coir workers, predominantly women, in different States of the country. It is estimated that around 80 per cent of the work force in the industry are women and it plays a vital role in rural women empowerment. There are 1570 registered coir exporters in the country," the statement said
Coir Board was set up under the Coir Industry Act, 1953 by the centre for the overall sustainable development of coir industry. The functions of the Board include undertaking, assisting and encouraging scientific, technological and economic research, modernization, quality improvement, human resource development, market promotion and welfare of all those who are engaged in this industry.
New end use applications of coir like the use of coir geotextiles for preventing soil erosion, conversion of coir pith into a valuable bio- fertiliser and soil conditioner and coir garden articles have gained popularity in India and abroad. The growing affinity towards environment friendly products has helped coir and coir products in domestic as well as foreign market, the statement added.