K. C. Venugopal , Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, has called for better co-ordination among coir agencies to resolve the problems faced by the sector and to fast-track growth.

There are so many agencies at the Central and State levels, but there is a lack of co-ordination between them and this needs to be addressed urgently, he said.

The Minister made this remarks at an international seminar on ‘Accelerating value added products of coir fibre: Challenges & Opportunities of developing natural fibre composites for industry cluster,’ organised as part of the six-day Coir Kerala 2013.

He pointed to the emergence of strong coir industries in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu that are a challenge to Kerala’s dominance in this sector.

“We have to think about it and arrest this trend,” he said at the seminar attended by experts and entrepreneurs in the sector from India and abroad.

He also stressed the need for value-addition to make the coir industry sustainable. Majority of exports are in the area of value-added products. The coir industry in Kerala also needs to do it.

There is a need for bringing in the market innovative value added products, which will require proper research.

A. C. Jose, former Chairman, Coir Board, made a strong case for creating value-added products using coir and seeking new markets in India and abroad.

Geo-textiles

He said value-added products have the potential to trigger the resurgence of the coir industry.

“We are the only one know how to make coir mats. We have to find markets for it in North India. Similarly, geo-textiles can be gainfully used in road-making, giving it strength and durability,” he said.

Geo-textiles, he said, can also be used in mines to prevent erosion and exporters need to look into it. “More avenues have to be found. Every monsoon, traffic is disrupted on the Konkan rail route. We can put geo-textiles there, he added.

>sajeevkumar.v@thehindu.co.in

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