Coir industry to benefit from new spinning machine

KOCHI: The Central Institute of Coir Technology (CICT) of Coir Board in association with a Bangalore-based company has developed a new spinning machine that is capable of increasing the production of quality yarn required by the tufting industry.

Costing about Rs 50,000 per unit, the single man operated machine is capable of producing 23 kg of quality yarn per day which can fetch an average wage of Rs 300 per head. Kerala Minister of Coir Adoor Prakash said the government will consider supplying the machine free of cost to the coir workers under BPL category free of cost to help improve their earnings. It will be part of the government efforts in alleviating the problem of industry afflicted by low wages, labour scarcity and raw material shortage.

The quality of the yarn produced by the two major tufting mat manufacturers and it would be subjected to detailed evaluation by the Central Coir Research Institute.

Coir Board plans to recommend to the Centre to include the machine for allocation under the Mahila Coir Yojana at 75 % subsidy during the 12th Plan period. If included, the machine will be distributed through the board’s 19 coir clusters spread over 11 coir producing states including the north eastern states of Assam and Tripura.