Coir exports surpass Centre's target

Coir exports have achieved a healthy growth year-on-year and have surpassed the targets set by the Centre from 2008-09.

In 2008-09, export earnings touched Rs 639.97 crore against the target of Rs 600 crore, and during 2009-10, it reached Rs 804.05 crore (target Rs 700 crore). In 2010-11, this was Rs 807.07 crore (Rs 800 crore).

Addressing the media here, Coir Board chairman VS Vijayaraghavan said to protect the interests of the handloom sector of the industry, the board had taken adequate measures to restore export incentives like VKGUY, Special Focus Product Scheme and duty drawback with increased provision with retrospective effect. These measures should help the industry enhance export of handloom coir products in the coming years.

 

During the past three years, the board has also done a lot to address the scarcity of coir fibre/coir yarn besides shortage of labour in the manufacturing sector.

Domestic sales
It recorded an all-time high domestic sales of Rs 14.06 crore during 2009-10. However, sales declined to Rs 13.4 crore in 2010-11. The board also received the single largest order for supply of coir products worth Rs 2 crore from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam of Andhra Pradesh.

He said the Centre had launched ‘Rejuvenation, Modernisation and Technological Upgradation in Coir Industry’ scheme. Under this, 40 per cent subsidy is provided for establishment of tiny units and spinning sector. While tiny units will get a maximum subsidy of Rs 2 lakh, the subsidy ceiling for the spinning units is Rs 80,000. Of this, 50 per cent will be provided through bank and the beneficiaries need to raise only 5 per cent of the total outlay. During the last three years, 3,000 such units in major coir producing centres were set up with an outlay of over Rs 50 crore.

The ‘Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries’ has extended subsidies to 26 clusters in the coir sector. Of this, 11 clusters have been made functional and a few more are nearing completion with an outlay of Rs 20 crore.

The board has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Fertilisers and Chemicals (Travancore) for developing a technology to convert coir pith into organic fertiliser and filler for fertiliser mixture, he added.