Increased foreign demand for coir based products

S.M. Wijayaratne Kurunegala correspondent

A program to develop the coir and coir based industries has been launched by the Export Development Board (EDB) to cater to the increased foreign demand for such products and improve the living standards of the industrialists in this sector.

J.M. Jayaweera, a consultant attached to the EDB said since there are more husks available in coconut estates in the Kurunegala District, the Board hoped to introduce new machinery to help industrialists to develop their industry with less human labour and earn more profits.

Jayaweera said a project will soon be launched to expand the production of coir products and the Coconut Development Board and Human Resources Development Authority have made arrangements to offer credit facilities to prospective industrialists. Jayaweera said Rs. 150 million would be allocated this year for granting subsidies and loans to the industrialists who like to take up this industry as a source of self-employment in the Kurunegala District.

On Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris’s instructions a program to cultivate fruits, flowers, vegetables, spices and promote non-traditional goods is now in progress on a countrywide basis to increase exports, Jayaweera added.