India will earn Rs 1,000 crore foreign exchange by coir pith export

BANGALORE: The country will earn foreign exchange to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore by exporting coir pith alone in near feature, Coir Board Chairman G Balachandran today said.

India earned a foreign exchange of Rs 220 crore by exporting coir pith during 2011-12 period, Balachandran said, inaugurating a seminar on "Coir Pith Utilisation and Women Empowerment" held in connection with the Karnataka Coir Expo being held here.

Coir industry is a women-oriented industry and production and processing of coir yarn and products is practised in the households of Kerala, Balachandran said.

Likewise, the Board plans the industry to be developed in Karnataka to create employment opportunities for more than a lakh of workers predominantly women, Balachandran said.

Member of Parliament from Bangladesh Nasimul Alam Chowdhury was guest of honour.