By IANS
New Delhi : To tap the huge potential in new age products, India’s Coir Board, a state-owned agency to promote the coir industry, is all set to market its eco-friendly products in the international market.
The board is organising a five-day international fair to seek new markets for green products like coco peat (a natural fibre made of coconut husks), garden articles and wood substitutes in a world where eco-friendly products are becoming increasingly popular.
The International Coir Fair (ICF), to be held in Kochi in Kerala Dec 7-11, will be attended by around 125 buyers from 20 countries.
“We are planning to market our eco-friendly coir products in a major way. Our slogan would be ‘use coir, go green and bring home the nature’,” Coir Board chairman A.C. Jose said here.
Indian coir products, exported to 97 countries, hold a monopoly in terms of reach. Almost 90 percent of coir products in the global market is produced in the country.
While 43 percent of the products manufactured here are exported to the US, 36 percent goes to European countries.
“The fair will be a mega show and a platform for all stakeholders to exhibit their products and technologies. We want to bring the importer community to witness rapid growth in our new range of products and make use of the global market’s interest in green products,” Jose, who was in national capital to announce the ICF, told reporters.
He said the commerce ministry would provide Rs.5 million and would sponsor the airfares and hospitality of 75 participants.
Importers from the US, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Poland, Netherlands, Dubai and Brazil are expected to be in Kochi during the fair.
“There has been a fresh interest in coir products in the international market. For example, the Netherlands, the hub of horticultural products, has been using peat moss as a growing medium but now coir peat is found to be a better manure,” Jose explained.
Ajith Kumar, director of ICF, said the board was planning to increase production of coir.
“Currently, only 40 percent of the raw material is being used. During the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2011) we are trying to stretch it up to 60 percent,” Kumar told IANS.
According to Kumar, many coir products made in India are yet to be marketed internationally. “The beautiful and exotic handicrafts products Orissa tribal women are making from coconut products are an example,” he said.
Although Kerala’s coconut production has come down drastically, states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and parts of West Bengal have been showing steady increase, which ensures supply of raw material.
However, Kerala is leading in coir product manufacturing. It provides 80 percent of coir exports. Around 640,000 people — 80 percent of them women — are employed in this sector.
While coir exports in 2002-03 stood at Rs.3.50 billion, it reached Rs.6.05 billion last year and is expected to reach Rs.7 billion this year.