Centre assures all help to Coir Board for market development

Centre has assured the Coir Board of all possible help for market development of the labour intensive coir sector, both in the export and domestic sectors.

This assurance was given to Coir Board Chairman V S Vijayaraghavan, when he met Dinsha J Patel, Union minister of state for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises on his assuming charge in New Delhi recently.

Vijayaraghavan had presented to the minister a detailed description of the coir industry and its scope of reaching an ambitious export target of Rs 1000 crore by the end of 11th plan (2007-12) from the present level of Rs 634 crore achieved in 2008-09, against the target of Rs 600 crore for the year, despite global economic downturn, a board release said here.

The board, he said, had drawn up an export strategy to create greater visibility for coir and coir products,taking advantage of the declaration by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the year 2009 as International Year of Natural Fibre.

Vijayaraghavan had also met Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Commerce Minister Anand Sharma to seek support in raising the financial outlay and market support from the respective industries.

Coir Board Chairman had also met Defence Minister A K Antony and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, as part of his efforts at securing the cooperation of these ministries to enhance consumption of coir and coir products, particularly coir based cushions for railway coaches.

Vijayaraghavan had also called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, Home Minister P Chidambaram and T K A Nair,Principal Secretary to Prime minister, the release said.