Coir producers see silver lining in bi-products

KOCHI: Coir Board has entered into an agreement with the Kerala Co-operative Rubber Marketing Federation (Rubbermark) for manufacture and supply of coir pith organic manure (C-pom) for the latter to their member societies.

AC Jose, Coir Board chairman, has stated that the board will take measures to popularise coir pith — a by-product of the coir industry —organic manure world over. TH Musthafa, chairman, Rubbermark, said that a project to manufacture manure using coir pith and waste would be launched shortly in Kollam District.

The Central Coir Research Institute of the Coir Board at Kalavoor will organise the production of C-pom in its own campus and also in the fibre mills in different locations, which will be nearer to the supply point. The agreement envisages supply of a minimum quantity of 250 MTs per annum by the Coir Board.

Rubbermark will market the product through the primary societies under their brand name. The board will ensure that the manure supplied to Rubbermark will be as per the standards stipulated by the board. Further, the board will also ensure that coir pith manure will be formally approved by the director of agriculture, Kerala, for use in plantations.

In India an estimated 7 lakh MTs of coir pith is produced per annum. Coir pith compost developed from coir waste is a good organic manure and soil conditioner applicable to agricultural crops.

In Kerala, on an average, around 180,000 MTs of coir fibre is produced every year. This will generate 360,000 tonnes of coir pith annually. The accumulation of coir pith in the coir producing centres causes environmental pollution.
The coir pith, which is a corky material has got very good water holding capacity and, therefore, is considered a good mulch material.