(a) whether the Union Government has received any representation from the Government of Kerala to ban export
of coir fibre as it adversely affects the employment of workers in the manufacturing and marketing of coir
based products; and
(b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto?
MINISTER OF THE STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
(SHRI DINSHA PATEL)
(a) & (b) The Government of Kerala and the Federation of Indian Coir Exporters Associations had made
representations to the Government of India during 2009 for banning/restricting the export of coir fibre
and make available the same to the coir industry in Kerala. The shortage of white fibre used in the
export oriented sector in Kerala was mainly due to non availability of green coconut husk in the market
caused by a fall in price of coconut. In addition, there has been a slow down in the fibre production
activities in Kerala due to drudgery in operation, increasing awareness of pollution aspects of the
environment due to retting, increased use of coconut husk for firewood purpose, etc. The non-existence
of adequate number of functioning fibre extraction units and husk collection mechanism in Kerala are
also causes for shortage of coir fibre. However, the shortage of coir fibre in the State of Kerala is
temporary and seasonal during the months of October to December every year and the availability of
coconuts increases in the market during January resulting in the fall of price of coconut fibre.
The Coir Board, a statutory body under the administrative control of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises, in association with the Government of Kerala has initiated several steps to improve the supply
position of coir fibre in Kerala. The Board has taken up a project for revival of two defibering units,
established by the Govt. of Kerala, by modernizing the machinery so that the State Government could take
up the work of revival of remaining units. The Coir Board has also facilitated the COIRFED, an apex
federation of Government of Kerala to source coir fibre from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in addition
to Tamil Nadu. The Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI), Kalavoor (Coir Board) has developed a mobile
defibering machine which can be taken to the interior villages where the small quantities of husks
collected can be converted into coir fibre. The first mobile defibering machine developed by the CCRI
has been transferred to the Government of Kerala for popularization.