Coir Board is planning to increase coir products exports by another 10% in the current fiscal to achieve a turnover of Rs 700 crore, board sources said. Despite volume and value of coir exports suffering reversal in the last few months, the board is hopeful of achieving an increase in volume and value in the current fiscal as it sees a revival in the market for mats and mattings. “We are betting on the market to improve as coir is an environment friendly product. Meanwhile, FAO is observing 2009 as the international year of natural fibre,” board chairman VS Vijayaraghavan said.
The exports during the last fiscal stands at 1,89,858 tonne valued at Rs 623.80 crore. Board statistics reveal that exports during the last fiscal of 2008-09 increased in volume by 1.2% and value by 5.2%, despite suffering reversals in the last few months. India exported 1,87,566 tonne of coir products in fiscal 2007-08 valued at Rs 592.88 crore, as against 1,68,754.75 tonne valued at Rs 605.16 crore in 2006-07.
Coir exports started the current fiscal on a bad note as volume and value of exports registered a fall in the month of April. Continuing the trend visible in the last six months, volume of exports has fallen across all major coir products. According to estimates of the Coir Board, exports dropped by 1% in volume while the fall in value has been 5%.
The board is also looking to increase the domestic consumption of coir products. At present, the domestic market is worth Rs 1,500 crore, of which rubberised coir mattresses accounts for Rs 1,100 crore, Vijayaraghavan said. ?Board has plans to energize its existing show rooms and sales outlets and is also planning to introduce incentives to boost sales,? he added.