Mechanised Coir producing units, which will create new job opportunities for Neighbourhood Group Women started working in the state. Its regarding the acceptance for the coir products in other countries and for improving the use of the same, that Kudumbashree Mission framed this programme. The programme was officially inaugurated by Dr. T.M Thomas Issac, Minister for Finance, Government of Kerala at Pariyaram, Kannur.
The new programme aims at extracting coconut fibre from raw coconut husks. The Coir Board will procure the fibre from the units. It is planned to start 30 units across the state in the first phase. The infrastructure for the programme will be met from the side of Local Self Government Department institutions, if they have any. The Kerala State Coir Manufacturing Company, Alappuzha will provide the defibering machine absolutely free to the women who are interested to start such units,which would enable them to extract fibre from raw coconut husks. For operating this machine for 8 hours, 8000 husks are needed per day.The procurement of these husks will be done by the units itself.The units may also find extra income by selling the coir pith, the byproduct of the fibre extracting process.
Preference will be given to those who wish to start micro enterprising units who an make high quality coir and value added products from this fibre. It is also planned to start units which would produce floor mats, door mats, aquarium filters and coir geotextiles.
The programme aims to secure job & income for Kudumbashree women and thereby strengthen the coir sector. The expert NHG women in this area therefore can make use of their freetime in a fruitful way and can find income out of it. The mechanised system will help to increase the production and it would increase the physical strain. The First phase activities had already been started in different panchayaths of Thrissur, Malappuram and Kazargod and soon will be started in Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kannur and Wayanad.This would attract more women to this sector and thereby maximum promotion would be given for coir products.