07-03-2016, 09:33 AM
coir mat collapse of world trade center pdf
Abstract
India is the major exporter of value added coir goods. Sri Lanka is the largest exporter of coir fibre followed by Thailand and India. Despite the spread of coir industry in some of the major coconut producing countries, not more that 10%of the global output of husk is utilized for coir fibre extraction. There has been only marginal improvement in the production and structural patterns of coir products with the result that the new consumers particularly of the younger generation are not attracted to the too familiar products. The future of coir industry depends on development of non conventional products. The R & D efforts in India have been successful in developing many new products, which could be utilized for a variety of applications that are cost effective and environment friendly, Capacity building and quality upgradation of the widely scattered household production units are critical in improving the domestic coir industry. To avoid competition between producing countries and collapse of prices, the formation of an international forum by bringing together all the coir producing countries has been proposed in this paper. Such a body could undertake generic promotion programmes, help prevent unhealthy competition, offer directions for production including a supply side management and take up issues of common interest. The survival of coir industry depends on its ability to adapt itself quickly to the fast changing consumer preferences and widening choices. Whether for domestic of export purposes, the coir sector has to diversity, keep the quality of products and services high ad ensure cost effectiveness.
Introduction
Fifteen countries of the Asia - Pacific region produce 86% of the coconut in the world. But only a handful of them are known to be coir producers. . India is the largest producers and exporter of coir and coir products. Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and now Vietnam are the other primary producers of coir with varying levels of production capabilities. Value addition in coir is at its best in India where the fibre is converted into exquisite floor coverings, Geotextiles, etc. which have earned a name in the International market . The coir industry, which was confined to Kerala, has now spread to other states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, etc. over the years largely on account of various developmental and promotional programmes. Apart from its traditional use as rope, yarn, and floor coverings , coir fibre is finding new applications as an eco-friendly substitute for wood and synthetics. A long term biodegrable geo-fabric for soil bioengineering and garden articles. The by product of coir industry, coir pith, is increasingly being used as a soil conditioner. The future of coir industry depends on the non-traditional areas and non-conventional products.
The Indian Coir Industry
The coir industry in India has had a strong export orientation since its early days when the trade was dominated by European business enterprises. With the dawn of Independence the trade came into the native hands which was a turning point in the history of coir industry in India. The structure and production relations have undergone drastic changes. The pattern of exports and product mix has also changed. From the level of the fibre and yarn exporter, India became an exporter of value added goods. This has in turn brought about a major shift in the total volume and value of exports. During the 1950s the average exports in terms of volume declined to 73,200 MT per annum. In the 1960s the volume exported declined to an average of 62,300 MT per annum. It further declined to an average of 45,700 MT per annum in the 1070s and 26,700 MT in the 1980s. But in terms of value there was an upswing all through this period. From an average annual export realization of Rs.80 million in 1950s it became Rs.120 million in 1960s, Rs.210 million in 1970s and Rs.300 million in 1980s. By the mid of 90s it was Rs.1,710 million which was gone up to Rs. 3,400 million in 2003. The export of coir over the years from India is given in Table - 1.
In the initial years the export was mostly of coir yarn to European countries, for agricultural purposes in hop and beans cultivation and as a raw - material for industrial units engaged in the manufacture of coir products. With the easy availability of synthetics, at competitive prices, and the rising cost of wages the European coir industries were constrained to either close down or to reduce their output, leaving a gap in the international market. But India could not effectively capitalize this opportunity, paving way for the synthetics to capture the scene unchallenged. The substitution of natural floor covering segment with the synthetics was irreversible, to the detriment of Indian coir industry and trade, the ill-effects of which continue even now.