National policy on fibre needed, says Coir Board

KOCHI: The coir industry in the country is facing stiff competition in the international market and the industry can be revolutionised by using modern technology for softening the fibre, G Balachandran, the new chairman of the Coir Board has said.A national policy on fibre should be formulated as the demand for coir products is growing, he said. He was addressing the media after taking charge as the chairman of the board here on Wednesday.Balachandran, a long-time member and former vice-chairman of the board, is the first chairman to be elected from the Coir Board.  He was serving as professor at S D College, Alappuzha. He is also the director of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Development Studies.“The year 2012 will mark the reinvention of the Coir Board. Coir products should be made affordable and usable. Workshops and training sessions for exporters and coir workers should be organised. The Central and state governments should conduct in-depth studies on effectively utilising  fund allotment to the board. Accountability in the system will be a boon for around four lakh people from the socially and economically backward sections of society who are employed in the industry,” he added. “Emphasis should be given on manufacturing  value-added products like jewellery, vanity bags and even cloth using jute and coconut fibre. The board, in association with the Agriculture Department, plans to use  unused fibre as fertiliser. The manufacturing of geotextile fabrics can take the industry to new heights. The board also plans to establish a coir museum at the Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI) in Alappuzha,” he said. “The board, with the help of residents welfare associations and other similar societies, will start procurement of husk and the CCRI’s mechanised unit will be made mobile. The Coir Board’s 32 showrooms should sport an attractive look to attract more customers.  International exhibitions in centres such as Delhi and an online platform for the board will globalise the marketing of coir products,” he said.  “Semi-modernising of the traditional looms will make it possible for the women to employed. A mobile servicing system will be established for the maintenance of these machines, he added.