ALAPPUZHA : As a part of its effort to modernise the coir industry, the Coir Board has developed a pneumatic loom for weaving coir mats and has perfected the technology for softening coconut fibre, Coir Board chairman A.C. Jose has said.

At a press conference at the Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI), Kalavoor, on Friday, Mr. Jose said the effort of the Board to develop fertilizer from coir pith had succeeded and the Board would finalise plans to export coir pith to Gulf countries.

Mr. Jose said the new loom developed by the CCRI for weaving coir mat would revolutionise the coir industry as it had several advantages compared to the existing looms. The loom named `Anupam' could be operated by women and needed only a single person to operate, said Mr. Jose.

Mr. Jose said Anupam looms needed only 450 gm of foot pressure to treadle in place of the 45 kg of foot pressure needed to operate the existing looms. Mr. Jose said the machine costing around Rs.1.5 lakhs could produce all types of coir mats and coir geo-textiles, where as the existing machines could produce only a single type of mat.

Secretary for small-scale industries Anupum Das Gupta would dedicate the new loom to workers at a function in Alappuzha on August 10, said Mr. Jose.

Mr. Jose said researchers of the board had developed a shampoo that could soften the coconut fibres. The fibre could be made as soft as human hair, said Mr. Jose. He noted that with softening, the fibre could be used for many more purposes.

The chairman said the CCRI had also developed natural dyes from coffee powder, tea waste and leaves of other plants for colouring coir mats. That would make India's coir products more acceptable in European countries, which preferred such products, said Mr. Jose.

The chairman said the board had initiated discussions with the authorities of Gulf countries for exporting coir pith. He said the coir pith with its high water retention capacity had been found effective in increasing the fertility of surface soil and authorities of Kuwait had expressed interest in importing pith.

Mr. Jose said the agreement for exporting pith could be signed in the coming days. He said the coir pith organic manure being manufactured by the board had been receiving good response and the board had entered into an agreement with the Kerala Cooperative Marketing Federation for manufacture and sale of the manure.

Mr. Jose said exports of the Board had shown an increase of 10 per cent in the first three months of the financial year in terms of value compared to the first three months of the previous financial year.

Mr. Jose said the board would distribute 18,000 motorised ratts to women in other States.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail