The Hindu Business Line : Raw material shortage cripples Kerala coir industry

The drop in the fibre production in the coastal regions in Kerala prompted setting up of a number of defibering and decorticating mills in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Workers engaged in manufacture of coir products in a factory in Alappuzha. Coir exports have crossed Rs 400 crore last fiscal due to increased demand in the global market. - K. K. Mustafah

Kochi , April 9

SHORTAGE of coir fibre continues to affect the coir industry in Kerala, though some improvement has taken place in recent months through imports from neighbouring States.

The non-availability of coconut husk for defibering in the State of late has led to the shortage of fibre. According to Coir Board sources, the factors affecting the industry in this regard are lack of an efficient system for collection and distribution of husk to the industry in Kerala and other coir producing States; involvement of a number of small holdings in the production of coconuts, particularly in Kerala, which render mobilisation and distribution of husk for coir production rather difficult; increased use of tender coconuts as health drink and wastage of husk at tender stage; and utilisation of coconut husk for other purposes such as fuel in sugar mills, brick making industry.

The problem of husk shortage was prevalent in the industry even during the 1970s, they said. The State Government implemented the Husk Control Act then, for ensuring the availability of husk for coir industry through the primary coir co-operatives and to the licensed husk dealers.

The problem of husk shortage in spite of promulgation of the Act and its implementation could not be addressed effectively and, hence, a three-point levy system was introduced in coir industry by the State Government. There were inter-State and intra-State restrictions in the movement of husk as measures to ensure availability of husk for coir production in the State. But all these regulations were subsequently withdrawn.

Of late, the growing environmental consciousness among the general public had resulted in public resentment against retting of coconut husk for extracting fibre in the traditional method. This had resulted in the decline in the fibre production and withdrawal of organised husk dealers and suppliers who were assisting the industry as feeder units in the matter of raw material, they said.

On the other hand, the reduction in the structure of holding of coconut plantations due to the Land Reforms Act in Kerala reduced the availability of husk for the industry. The drop in the fibre production in the coastal regions in Kerala prompted setting up of a number of defibering and decorticating mills in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Coconut husk in the northern districts of Kerala started moving to defibering units in Tamil Nadu for fibre production.

However, they said, the present shortage of coconut husk in the industry is not a situation developed suddenly. Rather it is the cumulative effect of the drought and the mdite disease, which had been affecting the coconut production in Kerala over the past several years.

Realising the gravity of the problem and the need for a long-term solution for improving availability of husk to the industry the Coir Board is taking various measures, they said.

For the immediate improvement of the position, the Board took some short- term measures as well. The Board facilitated procurement of coir fibre from production centres in other coir producing States for supply in Kerala. A fibre distribution centre was opened at the Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI) in Alapuzha for meeting the requirements of product manufacturers in the Alapuzha region.

The Board has been providing all assistances to the trade, including price support through the market development assistance scheme for ensuring availability of sufficient quantity of fibre in Kerala.

Kerala on an average, produces 1,05,000 tonnes of white fibre and 54,500 tonnes of brown fibre.

In order to supplement the production of coir fibre in the State, the Kerala coir manufacturing industry gets fibre supplied from Pollachi, Tenkasi, Cumbum and Teni in Tamil Nadu. The fibre originating from Tamil Nadu amounted to 60,000 tonnes a year, they added.