The coir sector has received a major thrust in the State Budget for 2021-22.
Presenting the Budget on Friday, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac said that coir production in the State would soon touch 50,000 tonnes. “The production in the coir industry has increased to 30,000 tonnes from 7,000 tonnes in 2015-16. This will rise to 50,000 tonnes in 2021-22. At least 10,000 additional jobs will be generated. Coir workers in the State are getting ₹300 a day with the assistance of Income Support Scheme and the same will be increased to an average of ₹500 without any subsidy,” Dr. Isaac said.
An amount of ₹112 crore is allocated for the coir sector in 2021-22. This includes ₹41 crore for mechanisation and ₹38 crore as price fluctuation fund. In addition to this, ₹50 crore from Coir Board for cluster formation and ₹100 crore from the National Cooperative Development Corporation will be made available for the industry.
Coir cluster
The Budget proposes to set up an…