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A coy hero in God's own country

With exports touching 5,37,040 metric tonnes last year, Kerala leads the global supply chain for coir and coir products. So it isn't surprising then that the government is doing all it can to promote the use of this versatile fibre from the cocos nucifera tree. The state and the central governments have expensed crores for the fifth edition of Coir Kerala, a five-day event at the EMS stadium here to promote its export in international markets, boost local demand and encourage entrepreneurs and researchers alike to find novel applications for coir.

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Displays made of the fibre at the five-day coir festival at Allepey, Kerala
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With exports touching 5,37,040 metric tonnes last year, Kerala leads the global supply chain for coir and coir products. So it isn't surprising then that the government is doing all it can to promote the use of this versatile fibre from the cocos nucifera tree. The state and the central governments have expensed crores for the fifth edition of Coir Kerala, a five-day event at the EMS stadium here to promote its export in international markets, boost local demand and encourage entrepreneurs and researchers alike to find novel applications for coir.

Coir, which is predominantly used for matting, mattresses, organic farming and logistics (rope and packaging material), is a material that has potential beyond the products that emerge from traditional cottage industries. So much so that a young entrepreneur from Ghana, Ama Agyewaa Agyei, is exploring the use of coir dust to clean oil spills from oceans through her company Coco Dourado. "We are doing research to see if we can use coir dust to absorb oil, forming cakes, which can then be mechanically removed from the spill area," said Agyei during a seminar on the second day of Coir Kerala. "Coir is sustainable. It's not that we want coir, we need coir."

Material engineer, Professor Carlo Santulli of the Universita di Camerino, Italy, cited the example of hemp fibre being used to make warm blankets. "This is no longer the case. We've not only lost the people who made the hemp textiles, but we can no longer find the looms that were in use. We've lost the expertise." The professor stressed that coir must be combined with other plant fibres to make composite materials that can pose a challenge to synthetic fibres and composites that are more durable and cost-effective and are therefore preferred over coir.

Even as these words hung in the air, the reality outside the seminar hall painted an ironic picture. Stall after stall at the international exhibition, which had a handful of visitors on the second day on Monday, primarily had three products to showcase – coir mats, coir peeth and mattress sheets ­– drilling the point home that huge investments will have to be made in coir research and development to take the industry forward.

Unlocking potential
1) Accoustic panels

The Institute of Indian Interior Designers partnered with NCRMI to develop coir panels that can be used on walls and ceiling to create unmatched indoor acoustic systems. Designer Collins Samuel says that coir has inherent characteristics that allow it to absorb sound and that these characteristics have been amplified in the Accoir panels. These panels, he says, absorb more than 60% of the sound, resulting in little or no echo.

2) Coir dust as cosmetic compact powder
Ama Agyewaa Agyei of Coco Dourado says that the fine powder that is a residual byproduct in the production of coir is as soft as the fine compact powder that is used in cosmetics. Thus, this fine powder can perhaps be used as a cosmetic, she said, as she passed on a sample in the seminar hall

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