Coir exports booms despite Covid crisis

CHENNAI: Exports of Coir and Coir products from India during the year 2021-22 registered an all time record of 12,34,855 MTs valued at Rs 4340.05 crore, Coir Board Chairman D Kuppuramu announced on Tuesday.

The exports last year was of 11,63,213 MTs valued at Rs.3778.98 crores. The export has registered a growth rate of 6.2% in terms of quantity and 14.8% in terms of value during 2021-22.

The exports of coir pith, tufted mats, coir fibre, handloom mats, coir yarn, powerloom mats, rugs and carpet, coir rope, curled coir and coir other sorts registered growth both in terms of quantity and value.

Products like handloom matting, powerloom matting, coir geotextiles and rubberised coir shown decline in both quantity and value.

The product coir of other sorts showed decline in terms of quantity and increase in terms of value.

Coir pith with export earnings of Rs 2259.18 crores constituted 52.05% of the total export of coir products from the country.

Tufted mats come second by overtaking coir fibrewith export earnings of Rs 1001.15 (23.06%) crores.

Coir fibre with an export of Rs.636.56 crores constituted to 14.66% of the total exports.

The value-added items put together constituted 33% of the total exports, as per a release.

Thootukudi port bagged 46% of the total exports made for coir and coir products.

Cochin and Chennai are the other ports which exported substantial quantities of coir and coir products.

During the year 2021-22, 103 countries have imported coir and coir products from India.

USA topped the importing countries with 29.79% in value and 17% in quantity and China is the second largest importer of coir products from India with a share of 20% in value and 38% in quantity.

The other countries, which imported substantial quantities of coir and coir products during the year were Netherlands, South Korea, UK, Spain, Australia, Italy, Germany and Canada.

He said the Coir Board has set a target to achieve Rs 7,000 cr of coir exports in a couple of years.

Of the 103 countries importing coir and coir products from India in 2021-22, the US topped the list with 29.79% in value and 17% in quantity. China is the second largest importer of coir products from India with a share of 20% in value and 38% in quantity