Coir Industry hit hard as water crises continue in TN and Kerala

New Delhi, May 3 (KNN) The Coir industry dependent on the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka are hit hard due to lack of coconut supply because of the severe water shortage.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu that produced almost 9000 million units of the nuts in the previous years, the produce has fallen down to alarming rates this year.

Talking to press, Mahesh Kumar, president of the COIR Pith and allied Products Manufacturers and Exporters Association said that the industry is in bad shape. He informed that the average produce by a tree has declined by 50 per cent, resulting in the shortage of inputs for the 700 coir units in the southern states. Many of the units have to be shut because of the unavailability of the material.

He further said that this is not the first time that the industry is facing such a crisis. Few years back there was a similar shortage and the industry had to import the inputs from neighbouring Sri Lanka. Now the industry under the crisis is considering importing the inputs from Andaman and Nicobar Islands and also from Africa

The situation for the industry could have been worse, but the stock from the previous season has helped the industry sustain. 

Another factor disturbing the COIR units in the region is the competition it is facing from other countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam. These countries offer the products at a steady pace and are therefore able to sell for lesser prices whereas the Indian industry time and again face problems such as the present shortage because of which it is not able to compete well. (KNN/ DA)