Lok Sabha Question No. 1946 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-28
Subject: Promotion of Coir Industry
Ministry: MICRO,SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Asked by: SURESH KODIKUNNIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1946 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.11.2016

## PROMOTION OF COIR INDUSTRY

## 1946.   SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:

## Will the Minister of MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES be pleased to state:

- (a)    whether the Government has received any representation from the coir manufacturers regarding the challenges/problems being faced by the coir industry in the country;
- (b)    if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto and the corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to protect and promote the coir industry;
- (c)   whether the Government proposes to modernise the coir industry in view of its advanced use in various sectors; and
- (d)    if so, the details thereof including the initiatives taken for promoting research and development in the coir industry along with the funds allocated for the purpose?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

## (SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH)

(a)&(b): The Government received several suggestions/measures from various stakeholders including coir manufacturers. The schemes/programmes are formulated keeping  in  view  the  suggestions/measures  received  from  them.  The  Government  through Coir Board is implementing various schemes/programmes for sustainable development and modernization of Coir industry in the country such as Coir Vikas Yojana(CVY) for  Skill Upgradation and Quality Improvement,  Mahila Coir Yojana, Development of Production Infrastructure, Export    Market Promotion, Domestic Market Promotion, Trade and Industry Related  Functional  Support  Services  and  Welfare  Measures(Group  personal  accident insurance scheme for coir workers). The  Coir Board is also implementing the Plan scheme Science  and  Technology  (S&T),  Coir  Udyami  Yojana  (CUY)  and  Scheme  of  Fund  for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) of Coir Industries.

(c)&(d): Coir Board under the 'Plan-S&T Scheme' has taken initiatives for promoting  Research  &  Development  in  the  Coir Industry through  the two  research institutions;  the  Central  Coir  Research  Institute  (CCRI),  Kalavoor  and  Central  Institute  of Coir  Technology  (CICT),  Bangalore.  During  the  current  financial  year  (2016-2017)  the Ministry has sanctioned an amount of Rs.7.00 crore for implementing the Plan-S&T scheme. The R&D activities of the Board concentrate in the following areas.

-  Modernization of Production Process
-  Development of Machinery & Equipments,
-  Product Development & Diversification
-  Development of Environment friendly Technologies
-  Technology Transfer, Incubation Testing and Service Facilities.
-  Incentive for using natural dyes and incentive for IPR in coir  sector.

Recently,  CCRI  has  developed  a  power  loom  to  weave  thin  variety  of  coir  fabric  and  a cleaner,  faster  &  eco-friendly  technology  of  bleaching  and  softening  of  coir  using  'Fibre Magic'.      The  new  R&  D  technologies  developed  by  the  Board  viz      'Nano'-  The  user friendly fibre extraction  machine, the pollution free technologies of Biochem treatment for quality improvement of coir fibre, composting of coir pith using PITHPLUS, development of COCOLAWN using  Coir  geotextiles,  Coir  needled  felt,  Coir  pith  and  C-POM,  Coir  Net house and setting up of vertical garden using coir pith / C-POM. All these value added coir products are aimed at enhancing the exports.

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