India’s coir pith has turned out to be the most sought after variety in the US and European markets as a plant growing medium. This has enabled coir product exports to post a record high in the first seven months of the current fiscal, ending October 2021.

Coir pith shipments during the period was over four lakh tonnes at ₹1,204 crore in terms of value vis-a-vis 3.65 lakh tonnes at ₹978 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

Demand in overseas market

Mahadevan Pavithran, member, Coir Board told BusinessLine that coir pith is finding a good demand in Holland, the US, Europe and China. It is an excellent soil conditioner and is being used as a soil-less medium for agricultural purposes. Due to its enriched qualities, the demand is also growing in many west Asian countries.

With its moisture retention qualities, coir pith is ideal to grow anthuriums and orchids. Home renovation in the pandemic times has also given a boost to the usage of coir, Pavithran added.

Coir Board’s provisional figures say that coir and product exports posted a 9.7 per cent growth s and 17 per cent rise in value. In FY 21, it was ₹3,778 crore with a shipment of over 11 lakh tonnes.

Going by the trend, official sources said that coir and product exports will register a 20-22 per cent growth by the end of the current fiscal.

Pavithran, Managing Director, Travancore Cocotuft, said increased procurement of coir fibre by Chinese upholstery factories also led to the shipment of over two lakh tonnes (4.6 per cent growth) for a value of ₹365 crore.

Likewise, the growth in PVC-backed printed coir mats to the US and Europe in spite of rising raw material costs has also aided to garner forex earnings. American consumer has re-discovered their penchant for using printed coir entrance mat for making highly individualistic statement at their entrance. The heavy winter snow this year also has been a reason for the increased sales, he added.

However, Pavithran added that coir mat production has been shifted to Tamil Nadu from Kerala due to the availability of raw material and cheap labour. Changing trends in overseas markets is also hastening this shift.

Hurdles

The rising freight cost and container shortage is still creating hurdles in meeting the export commitments. This has affected coir geo-textiles shipments due to the manifold increase in landed cost, thereby hitting several cooperative coir sectors in Alappuzha. But the US government’s decision in allowing West Coast ports to work 24x7 has eased congestion to a certain extent, enabling smooth cargo clearance, he added.

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