The India International Coir Fair-2009, which is coinciding with the golden jubilee celebrations of the Central Coir Research Institute, is expected to give further fillip to coir exports from the country by providing better visibility to coir products in the global market. The celebration of the International Year of the Natural Fibre is also expected to draw greater attention to coir and coir products.
Exceeding target
At a meeting of representatives of the coir exporters with the Board officials to discuss issues related to exports, Mr V.S. Vijayaraghavan, Chairman of Coir Board, thanked exporters for their collective efforts in surpassing the export target last year, both in quantity and value, despite tremendous odds and conspicuous global impediments.
Forex earnings
Indian coir exports during 2008-09 had touched 1,94,791 tonnes valued at Rs 634 crore, exceeding the target set for the year.
Coir export was 1,87,566 tonnes valued at Rs 592 crore during the previous year.
Performance hopes
With the conduct of the India International Coir Fair-2009 and the celebration of the International Year of Natural Fibre, the Coir Board was confident of better performance this year.
Mr Vijayaraghavan hoped that the Coir Exporters Federation would play a leading role in enhancing the growth of the coir industry in all its dimensions and assured of the board's full support in taking timely action to redress the problems of the exporters.
The need to obtain timely governmental sanction to participate in overseas fairs to achieve greater mileage in the export market, setting up of a container freight station at Pollalchi, Tamil Nadu, in view of its growing contribution to exports and increasing the frequency of the meeting of exporters with Board officials also received attention at the meeting held on Monday. It was decided to hold the next executive committee meeting of the Board at Bangalore on May 26.
Sales turnover
The 30-odd Coir Board showrooms spread over the country had achieved a sales turnover of Rs 11.19 crore, accounting for 86.10 per cent of the Rs 13-crore target fixed for the year 2008-09. The meeting also considered suggestions to revamp these showrooms and sales depots through out the country in tune with the growing expectations of all sections, especially the upper strata of society in order to remain competitive in the domestic market. In this background, Mr Vijayaraghavan was confident of achieving the revised sales target of Rs 15 crore set for the showrooms in the country for the current year.
Source : Business Line