COIMBATORE: The coir production units in Pollachi, which was elated with a ray of hope in business with new export orders, are facing a major hurdle with the shortage of workforce.
With hardly 70 to 80 per cent of the workers employed in these units are migrant labourers, the units are facing difficulty in completing orders.
Similarly, the people into coir productions opined the upcoming days could be bleak if the migrant labourers were not able to return back on time.
Meanwhile, the units also felt employing migrant labourers was better than hiring local labourers as they see efficiency in the former's work.
With the shortage of labour, followed by the monsoon season, the coir industry might not be able to produce the sales revenue like the previous financial year.
However, the units currently are of the view that employing local labourers would help in completing stagnant orders.
Urging the central and state governments, SK Gowthaman, a member of the Coir Board of India suggested the beneficiaries of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act could be utilised in coir production units.
Gowthaman claimed that only 50 per cent of the units in Pollachi are currently operational, however, said the orders have started arriving following the relaxation of lockdown restrictions.
Nearly one lakh people are directly and indirectly employed in the units in Pollachi that export 90 per cent of their coir fibre to China. The industry exports coir fibre which is used for making mattresses while the coir pith is used for greenhouse cultivation. The yearly revenue generated by the units through exports stands at Rs 1,400 crores.
M Selvaraj, Secretary of Coimbatore District Coir and Allied Products Manufacturers Association (COCOMANS) worried about a drop in production of coir fibres due to the monsoon season.
He said, "The major season for coir production is between January to May, which was affected due to the prolonged lockdown. We could do business but not when compared to what we did the previous year."
However, Coir Pith Exporters Association President S Mahesh Kumar said the business is getting back to normal with export activities started resuming to China, US, European Union among others. He said the units would employ local labourers to complete the orders.