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| Sunday, 7 April 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Sri Lanka, India work together to increase coir competitiveness Representatives from India's and Sri Lanka's coir industries met recently in Colombo to identify areas in which the world's two largest coir exporting nations can co-operate for mutual benefit. The successful meetings laid the groundwork for co-operation in research and development, marketing, bilateral trade and opportunities for product development. Individual areas identified for collaboration include joint research program on coir, including pith (the horticultural medium left over once the fibre is extracted, the sharing of research knowledge, and sharing expertise through training programs. The meeting also served as a preparation for the International Coir Convention, to be held in Sri Lanka on June 13 and 14. AT the convention, speakers from around the world will focus on challenges to the industry and opportunities for joint marketing and collaborative research and development to ensure the industry's success. Shankar Aggrawal, Joint Secretary India's Ministry of Small Scale Industries and Agro and Rural Industries, headed the Indian delegation, while the Sri Lankan delegation consisted of representatives from the Sri Lankan Coir Cluster, an industry grouping of millers, manufacturers, exporters, academics and government officials working to increase Sri Lanka's competitiveness in this sector of the economy. The Coir Cluster is one of eight industry clusters formed under the competitiveness initiative, a USAID-funded project that assists selected Sri Lankan industries achieve and maintain international competitiveness. The Initiative supports each industry by facilitating strategic planning within the cluster and by providing short-term technical assistance to help planning and implementation. The clusters also support dialogue between the public and private sectors, including policy and institutional reform. Since the early 1900s, Sri Lanka has been the world's primary supplier of coir fibre, which can be crafted into a range of semi-finished and finished goods. In contrast to India, which has a large domestic market for coir products, over 80 per cent of Sri Lanka's production of raw fibre and manufactured goods are exported. Sri Lanka exported 134,000 tons of coir products worth US 52 million for the year ended March 2001. However, Sri Lanka's export value per metric ton of coir material is only 38 per cent of India's, indicating a need for local industry to move toward exporting greater value added coir products. |
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