Coir Board of India plans to establish coir ‘fibre bank’ in Alappuzha district of Kerala with an initial investment of Rs. 2.5 million, according to a fibre2fashion report.
The fibre bank is being set up to equilibrate the lack of coir fibre in the Kerala market, Coir Board Chairman, G Balachandran, reveals.
The Board would purchase fibre from Tamil Nadu and supply the same to Kerala-based small-scale entrepreneurs and societies engaged in value addition. The fibre bank would be set up with an initial investment of Rs. 2.5 million, and it is proposed to run on a not-for-profit basis, he added.
Limited coir distribution is fixed for individuals and exception for the societies. Tamil Nadu coir has a capacity to survive for about three to four months, without any decay problems, Balachandran mentioned.
The Coir Board would be organizing first exhibition of this year on the theme of new trends and technology in the coir industry, where experts would share their knowledge on the new scientific and technological developments in the coir industry, Mr. Balachandran disclosed.
In order to draw the attention of the youth to the coir industry, the Board is planning to impart training in coir to 20,000 youth and setting up 17,000 small-scale coir industries in the state.
The Board has recommended inclusion of coir in the national fibre policy, which would prove to be of great help in enhancing coir exports to leading markets. The Board intends to promote coir composite boards, coir pith, coir geo-textiles, coir ornaments and coir spinning machines in near future, he said.
