There has been a resurgence in the coir sector owing to increase in production and procurement, Minister for Industries P. Rajeeve has said.
He was speaking after the launch of five new products developed by the National Coir Research and Management Institute (NCRMI) here. These include coir divider, CocoAura, digital coir runnage meter, Coconurture, and Trichopith Pro.
The Minister said development of products needed by the market was the aim of the institute. This would be possible through product diversification. There was need to transfer the technology developed and create products using it, he said.
Coir road divider is a low-cost technology developed by the NCRMI that is different from the traditional way of road construction. The characteristics of the road divider include limited soil requirement, ability to absorb water, and beautification. CocoAura is an air freshener developed from coirpith and plants and made using essential oils. It is available in five forms - gel, fibre, sachet, granulet, and vent clips.
The digital coir runnage meter determines the runnage of coir yarn in under a minute. It helps fix the runnage of various coir yarns more precisely through LCD display.
Coconurture is an organic potting mixture needed for plant growth, made from powdered coir husk, pith, and cow dung and limited soil.
Trichopth Pro is a product that expedites composting.
V.K. Prasanth, MLA, presided. Kadakampally Surendran, MLA, and Coir Development Director Anie Jula Thomas were present.
