Kerala - Kochi   

1,000 coir product outlets planned

KOCHI: The State government will open 1,000 coir products sales and exhibition counters in the State soon as part of its efforts to popularise the use of coir products and to provide a big boost to the coir industry, Minister for Coir, Cooperation and Devaswoms G. Sudhakaran has said.

A list of 700 places for these showrooms and sales outlets was already finalised, the Minister said while delivering a special address at the inauguration of the Indian International Coir Fair-2007 at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kaloor here on Friday.

Mr. Sudhakaran said there would be a coir showroom in each panchayat in the State. Coir Corporation, Foam Mattings and Coirfed would be involved in setting up these showrooms.

“Kerala Coir: Golden Yarn” from God’s Own Country is the slogan for the campaign to boost coir and coir products sales, the Minister said.

In yet another effort to popularise coir in the Indian domestic market, the government would participate in the Indian International Carpet Expo in New Delhi in February next year. Kerala coir industry would be represented by the government with help from the Coir Board, the Minister said.

Mr. Sudhakaran said the Minimum Export Price (MEP) should be restored to the help the coir industry. Replacing MEP with market development assistance would be of no help, he said.

The Minister said the Union government should also come forward to compensate coir exporters who were at the receiving end of the appreciating rupee against the U.S. dollar.

He said the Union government should raise its rate of compensation.

The State government will also set up two centres — one in Alappuzha and another in Chirayinkeezhu, to help the coir industry’s new development programmes.

The Minister said the policy-makers should recognise the uniqueness and individuality of coir just as in the case of jute and cotton. If this individuality was recognised, it would do a lot of good to the coir industry, he said.

Use of coir geotextiles in road building would help increase coir product consumption. There was resistance to include coir geotextiles in the State Public Works Department manual, he said.

In a bid to close down all coir depots, the department had issued instructions to the District Labour Officer to conduct a survey in Alappuzha district.

These depots should be closed down in a week and an alternative set up would be in place.

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