State announces yarn bank — to oil the wheels of struggling coir sector

Project intended to tackle fibre shortage, safeguard livelihood of over 2 lakh workers

- JOSE K JOSEPH @T'Puram

In a significant intervention to revive Kerala's struggling coir sector, the state government has announced the formation of a yarn bank to tackle the acute shortage of coir fibre. Coir Minister P Rajeeve said the project, with an allocation of ₹5 crore, is intended to ensure a steady supply of fibre to units across the state and safeguard the livelihood of more than two lakh workers, nearly 80% of them women.

The yarn bank will be jointly managed by the Kerala State Coir Corporation Ltd and the Kerala State Cooperative Coir Marketing Federation Ltd (Coirfed). It will stockpile coir fibre for a year, enabling small and large units to access the raw material at affordable rates. Government sources added that the final decision on the location of the yarn bank will be taken shortly, but officials confirmed that it will be established in a region with large-scale coir activity to maximize impact.