COIR PRODUCTS EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES by Dr. J. Anandha Kumar

COIR PRODUCTS EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

DR.J.ANANDHA KUMAR

Lecturer, Department of Textile Processing, GRG Polytechnic College

Abstract

Coir is a versatile lingo-cellulosic fiber obtained from coconut trees (Cocos nucifera). Coir is available in large quantities, in the order of 5 million tons a year globally. The export of coir and coir products from India was Rs. 2757.90 crore for the year 2019-20. Registering an all-time high record, which was around Rs. 30 crores higher than that of the last year i.e., 2018-19 at Rs. 2728.04 crore. While the exports of coir pith, tufted mats, coir Geo-textiles, coir rugs and carpets, coir ropes and power-loom mats grew both in terms of quantity and value. The products like hand-loom mats, coir yarn, rubberized coir and power-loom matting showed a decline in terms of the quantity and increase in terms of value. Coir pith with export earnings of Rs. 1349.63 crore constituted 49% of the total export of coir products from the country. The value-added items put together constituted 33% of the total exports. The best way to bring the existing coir industry to a higher level is the development of new value-added coir products. This review article throws light on the opportunities in coir spinning and the various value-added coir products for Export.

Introduction

Coir is the fibre obtained from the fruit of coconut tree (Cocos nucifera). It belongs to the palm tree family (Arecaceae) grown in tropical and sub-tropical countries [1]. Coconut fruit consists of exocarp (the outer husk), mesocarp (the fibrous husk), endocarp (the hard shell) and the endosperm (the meat) [2]. Coir fibre is extracted from the coconut fruit after the removal of husk after the removal of the endocarp and the endosperm. The husk consists of 75% of fibre material and 25% fine material called pith [3]. Though coconut tree grows in several countries, majority of fibre extraction takes place in countries like India, Sri Lanka and Philippines. Less than 50% of coconut husk are utilised for fibre extraction and remaining husks are used as domestic fuel and left over as waste which decomposes in due course of time. Coir fibre consists of 43.44% of cellulose, 45.84% of lignin, 0.25% of hemi cellulose, 3.00% of pectin, 2.20% of ash and 5.25% of watersoluble compounds [4]. Due to the high quantity of lignin, coir fibre is brown, stiff and has high flexural rigidity [5]. Two types of of course fibres are available in the coir industry like white fibre and brown fibre [6]. Fibre obtained from the immature green husk after a long retting process of 10 to 12 month is known as white fibres. Brown fibres are extracted from matured husk with a getting process of 10 days. Spinning of coir fibres has been carried out in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Coir fibre yarn is produced by the traditional hand spinning process and the mechanised spinning process. Hand spinning is being carried out by women workers in the rural regions of Kerala and provides livelihood to a sizable women population. Mechanised spinning process has got its importance as the demand for coir yarns is not fulfilled by the low production of hand spinning process [7]. Most of the white fibres are processed in hand spinning and the brown fibres are processed in the mechanised spinning system.

Coir Fibre Industry in India

Coir Industry in India, manufactures yarns, mats, mattings and other products using age-old processes due to which the quality of the products leaves much to be desired. The fibre properties and chemical composition are given below in Table 1. and Table 2. respectively:

Table 1. Physical Properties of Coir Fibers

Table 2. Chemical Composition Coir Fibers (% by mass on dry basis)

Spinning

Spinning is mostly done manually. The output is low, and the nature of work is tiresome. Mechanised ratts are available, but in most of the cases, the quality of yarns from these ratts does not conform to the exporter’s quality requirements. Majority of the coir yarns

spun using mechanized ratts are manufactured with cotton or polyester filament as core. Whenever cotton is used as core, the cost of the resultant coir yarn increases and when polyester filaments are used as core, the eco-friendly nature of the coir product is affected.

Hand Spinning

The usual practice in hand spinning is to roll the fibre into short length of 6 to 9 inches, giving a clockwise twist by hand. When enough has been made, two of these short lengths are taken in hand together and made into yarn of two plies by giving a counter twist, using both palms? When the counter twist reaches near the end of the striking, further pieces of short lengths that are kept ready, are added one after other, while the Counter twist by hand is continued, till the required length of yarn for a knot is reached. This is reeled in the form of a hank and a knot is made at the end. Handspun yarn always has a soft twist.

Traditional Ratt Spinning

Since the middle of the 19th century, coir spinning wheels or ‘Charka’ have been introduced with a view to increasing production and obtaining the hard twist required for the manufacture of matting, etc. Wheel spinning is gradually displacing hand spinning. To prepare two-ply coir yarn on the spinning wheel, one set of two wheels, one stationary and the other movable is required. The stationary wheel usually contains two spindles set in motion through the centre of the wheel. The movable wheel contains one spindle only. Two persons take the silvers of ‘coir’ prepared and kept ready after willowing. Usually, women keep them in their arm pits, make a loop with a small quantity of fibre and then puts the loop thus formed into the notch of one of the spindles on the stationary wheel and gives the fibre a uniform thickness while walking backward. Another operator then gives the twist to the fibre; thus, led by turning the handle of the spinning wheel. This operation is continued till the required length of strand is reached. The strands are then passed through a grooved rod and tied together into the notch of the spindle; the grooved rod being allowed to move forward. The movable wheel is turned in the opposite direction. The object of the grooved rod is to regulate the twist of the yarn and to prevent entanglement of the strands at the time of doubling. When the grooved rod reaches the stationary wheel, the turning of the spindles of the spinning wheel is stopped and all the ends from that of the stationary wheel are cut off and the yarn is tested to see whether there is sufficient twist. If more twist is required, the movable wheel is turned toward its original direction till the required twist is obtained, if it contains more twist than desired, the movable wheel is turned in a direction contrary to the original twist. Traditional Wheel spinning using a spinning wheel requires three people, who may produce 12-15 kg of yarn per day.

Motorised Traditional Ratt

Motorised Traditional Ratt is a developed form of a coir spinning ‘charka’. Here, the stationary ratt is rotated using a suitable contrivance attached to an electric motor. By attaching the rotating system to the stationary ratt one worker is avoided and the productivity is increased. The wages thus earned are divided among the two workers resulting in enhancement of wages of spinners. This system has been introduced recently and found successful in the industry for spinning all varieties of yarn.

Motorised Ratt

The research and development in coir industry was mainly aimed for reducing the drudgery of the workers involved in the spinning of coir yarn on traditional and motorised traditional ratts. Two or three spinners are engaged for exercising the production activity in yarn spinning, where they are exposed to changing weather conditions, which ultimately affects the production. They are also forced to walk up and down in the spinning yard for taking the individual strands and for doubling operation. As a result of research and development, a spinning device for reducing the drudgery, improving the productivity and to improve the working environment, the motorised ratt was introduced in the industry. In the case of a motorised ratt the spinner is made to sit on a chair /stool and roll the well cleaned fibre stacked in the spinning trays attached to the spinning device where the yarn is spun and wound over the bobbins attached to the ratt.

Automatic Spinning

The production turnover in the case of hand spinning was less. The efforts to maximise the productivity of the yarn resulted in the introduction of automatic spinning machine units.The automatic spinning machine units are capable of production of yarns of runnage varying from 50 to 300 meters/kg and twists from 10 to 30 twists/feet.

Coir fibre in the form of bales is the raw material for the unit. These fibres are soaked in water for one hour and are cleaned in the willowing machine. Pith content and the hard bits are removed in the process. Manual attention is also required for this removal, to the fullest extent. The cleaned fibers are passed into the feeder of silvering machine, where the fibers are paralleled and drawn by draw rollers. These paralleled fibers are twisted and taken on to drum. The twisted paralleled fibers are called silvers. The silvers are fed on to the feeder of the spinning machine, combed and to made to fall on to “W” tray. Core threads of nylon/cotton/HDPE/LDP Eassing in the tray are used as carrier for the coir fibres. These fibres are entwined on to the thread and are twisted by the grip nozzles/ rollers. Two such strands are doubled and wound on to a bobbin to form the yarn of required twist and runnage. The automatic spinning machine facilitates spinning of varieties of yarns according to the requirement of the industry. By varying the parameters of the machine to vary the twist and/ or runnage. The yarns thus formed are wound in the form of balls for the easy transportation.

Weaving

Majority of coir mats and mattings are manufactured in handlooms. Automatic looms are sparingly used in the coir industry. It is mainly due to the exorbitantly high cost of the automatic looms. At present, automatic looms for

coir weaving are not manufactured indigenously but imported. Development of heavy-duty cost-effective looms will provide a solution for manufacturing better quality mats and mattings at a relatively lower cost.

Dyeing and Bleaching

Even though some of the exporters have modern dyeing and bleaching facilities with effluent treatment plants; majority of the dyeing and bleaching activities are carried out with lower level of technology. There is scope for setting up better dyeing and bleaching houses, at least in the case of medium scale exporters/manufacturers.

Finishing

The finishing operations like shearing, stitching, stenciling, clipping etc. are done manually or by operating with lower level of technology. Clipping of the mats is performed by using a pair of scissors, which is cumbersome. Some of these processes could be mechanized for removing human drudgery and for improving product aesthetics.

Value Added Coir Products

Coir Fibre is extracted from the fibrous outer cover of the fruit of the Coconut palm, with or without retting. Coir Fibre is graded based on its nature of extraction, colour, presence of long and short fibres, impurities etc. Coir Yarn is generally of 2 ply, spun from coir fibre by hand as well as with the help of traditional ratts, fully automatic spinning machines etc. The Coir yarn is of different qualities/grades based on the quality of fibre used, the nature of twist, presence of impurities etc. Available in different forms

Coir Mats

like hydraulically pressed bales, spools bobbins, dholls, balls etc. cut length for various industrial and agricultural purposes. Creel mats are manufactured both on handlooms and powerlooms. They are specially noted for their low pile height. The yarn for the pile structure is released from the beam during the weaving process. The pile structure is obtained by suitable positioning of the coir yarn in the fabric structure with the use of grooved rods and cutting the yarn passing over the rods with a sharp knife. These are available in solid shades, stripes, mottled, stenciled, and tile patterns. 2-chain creel mats and 3- chain creel mats are available in this category. 3-chain creel mats have a firmer structure than 2-chain creel mats. Special type of mats with jute twine sold under the name ‘carnatic mats. Coir Mats are made on handlooms, power looms or frames and with or without brush. Creel Mats are known for its thin brush. Rod Mats for thick brush and Fibre Mats for compact brush. Latex/rubber backing makes the mats non-slip. Available with woven or stenciled designs and bevelled patterns for use in interior or exterior door fronts.

Matting mats

Coir mattings are cut into the sizes of mats and the edges are finished with all around rubber edging or tucked-in edges. Latex backing or rubber sheet backing are also reported in the manufacture of these mats to give a firm look for the product. These are mostly available in all fancy shades, woven patterns etc. Made on traditional handlooms or powerlooms. Available in natural beach, solid colours and a multitude of designs/patterns made by weave and colour combinations and with or without

Matting Mats

latex backing. Quality of the matting is determined by the type of yarn and weave used. Mainly used as floor coverings and floor runners for furnishing stairs/corridors. Also used for wall panelling, ceiling, lining and echo-control. Coir Mattings are cut to rug size, ends bound, tucked-in, fringed or rubber sealed for use as area rugs. Also available with cotton/tapestry bound and with or without latex backing.

Coir Non-Woven Mats

Coir Geotextiles protect the land surface and promote quick vegetation. Geotextiles are natural eco-friendly, used in erosion control blankets in woven and non-wovens. Totally biodegradable, geotextiles help soil stabilisation and renew vegetation in varying slopes. A spongy material that binds the coconut fibre in the husk, coir pith is finding new applications. It is an excellent soil conditioner and is being extensively used as a soil-less medium for agri-horticultural purposes. With its moisture retention qualities, coir pith is ideal for growing anthuriums and orchids. Available in raw form or converted into organic manure.

Coir Geo-Textiles

Products made out of Coir fibre. From poles to plant pots to hanging baskets, coir makes just about every accessory that is essential for modern day gardening. Coconut husk chips also are widely used in horticultural applications.

Conclusions

The Indian coir industry is an important cottage industry contributing significantly to the economy of the major coconut-growing States and Union Territories such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Orissa, Assam, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep and Puducherry. About 5.5 lakh get employment, from this industry. Coconut husk is the basic raw material for coir products. At least 50 per cent of the available

Coir Geo-Textiles

coir husk is used to produce coir products. The rest is used as fuel in rural areas. Hence, there is scope for growth of coir industry. Efforts have also been made to widen export markets for coir and coir products. The rising demand for coir, an expanding market for coirbased erosion control products, and the spread of coir pith as a peat moss substitute in horticulture resulted in higher production and prices. To India's advantage, it exports largely value-added products yarn, mats, and rugs. The challenge now for industry is to sustain/expand markets for this versatile renewable resource, while maintaining its role as employer for the rural

Horticulture Coir Products

people. This may require producers to innovate production, improve product consistency, and develop novel applications jointly with their customers in importing countries.

Acknowledgements

The Author wish to thank the Management of GRG Institutions, Coimbatore for their constant encouragement and motivation to carry out this work.

References

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5. H.D.Rozman, K.W.Tan, R.N.Kumar, A.Abubakar, Z.A.Mohd. Ishak and H.Ismail,The effect of lignin as a compatibilizer on the physical properties of coconut fiber –polypropylene composites Europen Polymer Journal, 36(7), (2000), pp.1483-1494.

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8. www.coirboard.gov.in

INDIA AND UNFORESEEN TEXTILE MACHINERY

EXPORTS IN THE FY 2021

Textile Value Chain

Following the outbreak of the novel Covid-19 pandemic, Indian textile machinery manufacturers are hoping to capitalize on global anti-Chinese sentiments. One reason why the country's textile machinery manufacturers are optimistic about their prospects post-Covid-19 is, that they see it as an opportunity to expand their share of the domestic market, which is dominated by imports. The bottom line is that textile machinery manufacturers are optimistic about their prospects in the domestic and global markets following the Coronavirus outbreak. The export of textile machinery in FY 2021 was neither according to the expectations nor below the expectations. Textile machinery exports were expected to swell in the FY 2021, but it dwindled instead.

Bangladesh was the highest importer of fiber processing machineries from India in the FY 2019 with the import worth 60 million USD. Its import exhibited a constant and major shrinkage in the next couple of years. Bangladesh’s import dropped down to 31 million USD in FY 2020 and in FY 2021 this import was worth 15 million USD. Turkey was the highest importer of these machineries in the FY 2021 with the import value worth 32 million USD. Turkey’s import was worth 14 million USD in the FY 2020 and 23 million USD in the FY 2019. Oman imported the least number of machineries among the top 10 importers. Its total purchase was worth 17 million USD. Germany’s purchase was worth 7 million USD in FY 2019, 6 million USD in FY 2020 and 5 million USD in FY 2021.

Vietnam imported the machineries worth 30 million USD in FY 2019 which subsequently dropped to 15 million USD in FY 2020 and gradually decreased to 6 million USD. Even Netherland’s import decreased from 20 million USD in FY 2019 to 6 million USD in FY 2021. Indonesia’s import dropped as well. They were 10 million USD in FY 2019 and decreased to 9 million USD in FY 2020. In the year FY 2021, the import was worth 7million USD. Malaysia was one of the top importers in the FY 2019 with the total import worth 35 million USD which fell to 4 million USD. This import increased to 18 million USD in the FY 2021. Benin’s import of these machineries swollen up in the FY 2021 from 2 million USD and 1 million USD in FY 2019 and FY 2020 respectively to 16 million USD. Uzbekistan’s import decreased from 19 million USD to 8 million USD.

Vietnam was the highest importer of weaving machinery in FY 2020. Its import was worth 5 million USD in the FY 2020. In the FY 2019 and FY 2021, it imported the same

machinery worth 3 million USD. UAE and Turkey imported these machineries worth 2 million USD in the FY 2021 and 1 million USD in FY 2020. UAE’s import of these machineries was worth 19 thousand USD and Turkey’s import was worth 95 thousand USD in the FY 2019. Bangladesh imported these machineries worth 3 million USD in FY 2019 but it’s import dwindled in FY 2020 to 2 million USD. In the FY 2021, Bangladesh increased its import to 4 million USD. Tanzania, Brazil, Egypt, and Mexico’s import of these machineries was worth 1 million USD each in the FY 2021. Indonesia’s import dwindled from 2 million USD in FY 2019 and 2020 to 91 thousand USD in the FY 2021.There was a small visible growth in Algeria’s import of weaving machinery from India between the FY 2019 and 2021. Its import was worth 21 thousand USD in the FY 2019 which swelled up to 91 thousand USD in the FY 2021. well as FY 2020. Netherland was the highest importer in FY 2021. Germany’s import was worth 30 million USD in FY 2019 which declined to 10 million USD in FY 2021. Netherland’s import increased from 14 million USD in FY 2019 to 19 million USD in FY 2020. In FY 2021, it dropped to 17 million USD. There was reduction in China’s import from 19 million USD in FY 2019 to 12 million USD in FY 2021. Japan’s import surged in FY 2021 and was worth 10 million USD which was 10 times more than previous year. Bangladesh imported the machineries worth 11 million USD in FY 2019. Its import dwindled in the following couple of years and was worth 8 million USD in both the years. Malaysia’s import hiked unexpectedly in FY 2021 from 1 million USD in FY 2020 to 7 million USD in the following year. Italy’s import that was 13 million USD in FY 2019 fell to 7 million USD in the next financial years. Indonesia, Turkey, and Singapore’s import of the given machinery was 6 million USD, 5 million USD and 4 million USD respectively which was less than the previous year.

Germany was the highest importer of textile machinery for knitting, lace, embroidery, tufting, etc. in the FY 2021 with the import worth 2 million USD. Germany’s import was comparatively less in the past two years. It imported these machineries worth 1 thousand USD and 18 thousand USD in the FY 2019 and 2020, respectively. Nepal was the 2nd highest importer in the FY 2021 with the purchase worth 45 thousand USD. There was a decline 3 thousand USD in FY 2021’s purchase. Ethiopia’s purchase was worth 27 thousand USD in the FY 2021. It did not make any purchase of these machineries in the FY 2020. Malaysia imported the machinery worth 22 thousand USD in the FY 2021. Turkey’s import was more in FY 2020 than FY 2021. It imported machineries worth 25 thousand USD in 2020 which was 3 thousand USD more than FY 2021’s import. Japan imported these machineries worth 44 thousand USD in FY 2019. Its imports dwindled and was 16 thousand USD in FY 2021. Italy’s import drastically fell in FY 2021 from 1 million USD in FY 2020 to 3 thousand USD in FY 2021. Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan’s imports were worth 14 thousand USD, 11 thousand USD and 7 thousand USD respectively. Germany was the highest importer of auxiliary machines and parts for textile machinery from India in FY 2019 as