The Coir Board will give training for 7,000 women in Tamil Nadu to create employment opportunities in coir industry. Boa rd cha i rman G Balachandran said that training will be given for spinning coir yarn and making value-added products. The Board will also provide a subsidy of Rs 400 lakh to establish modern coir units. Subsidy of 75 per cent will be given to the trained women for the purchase of motorised and electrical ratts for spinning coir yarn.
The Coir Board is also set to implement the flagship scheme, Rejuvenation, Modernization and Technology Upgradation of the Coir Industry (REMOT). During 2013-14, the Board will implement various schemes with a financial outlay of Rs 50 crore for providing employment opportunities to more than 10,000 women workers.
The Board also proposes to popularise the use of coir geotextiles in Tamil Nadu for application in construction of roads. Discussions were held with the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration on the advantage of coir geotextiles. The regional office of Coir Board at Pollachi in Coimbatore will undertake skill development activities in producing all diversified products like coir conference bags, UV treated umbrellas, Janatha coir mattress, coir chapals, coir garden articles, coir ply moulded articles, coir jewellery and handicrafts.
The Board will also provide grant to set up coir units with an assistance of 25 to 75 per cent in all the 22 coconut producing districts of Tamil Nadu. Balachandran said that out of the overall exports of coir amounting Rs 1,116 crore, Tamil Nadu is ranking second with a turnover of around Rs 400 crore last year. If value addition is also done, then there is a scope of generating Rs 5,000 crore by export and sale through domestic market