The Kerala government has chalked out a slew of measures to breathe life into the dying coir industry, which directly employs over one lakh people in the State.

For the first time, the State would make a concerted attempt to tap to the domestic market in the country for coir-based products.

Domestic demand “All along, our focus has been on exports. We now feel that there is a huge untapped domestic market for coir-based products,” said N Padma Kumar, Director of Coir Development, Kerala.

“We have already drawn up plans to select 500 franchisees all over the country for which expression of interest has been invited. Selected franchisees will be given ₹10 lakh each as a one-time grant,” Kumar, who was here to participate in a meeting with prospective buyers of coir products.

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, who is also the Minister for Coir, said recently that the Left Democratic government had decided to spend ₹1,000 crore over the next five years to develop the coir sector.

Marketing corporation A decision has been taken to set up a marketing corporation exclusively for coir, said Kumar. “The corporation, which is still awaiting the Cabinet nod, will be a unique one as it will allow minority stake for private coir export firms, he said.

Private exporters are big players in the coir market as they account for most of ₹1,000 crore export business.

To address the shortage of coir fibre, the government plans to popularise eco-friendly defibering machines, which can help make fibres without resorting to the polluting rutting process.

Defibering plant “In July this year, we have given a women’s help group in Kannur district a pilot micro defibering plant, which can handle 8,000 coconut husks a day. We would like to evaluate its performance, before they are distributed widely,” he said.

While cooperatives and SHGs will get these machines costing between ₹3-4 lakh free of cost, others can get them at a 50 per cent subsidy, Kumar said.

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