CDA project to export coir yarn and banister brushes

by Elmo Leonard

The Coconut Development Authority (CDA) yesterday launched a Public Private Partnership Project (PPPP) in the hamlet of Neeliya, Ibbagamuwa in the Kurunegala district where coir yarn and banister brushes will be turned out for export.

This is part of strengthening the private sector's outsourcing capacity. In this instance, coir yarn and banister brushes will be turned out by 100 people who secure direct employment under the project. The 100 villagers from Neeliya had been trained by the private sector companies.

The CDA is in charge of running the project and will sell the produce to the companies involved. The CDA objective is employment creation and raising socio-economy standards within areas under coconut cultivation, CDA acting deputy director, marketing, V. Balakrishnan said.

Simultaneously, CDA opened a regional office in Kurunegala, intent on solving critical issues which arise within the industry, at regional level.

The regional office will facilitate the marketing of coconuts and coconut kernel produce and products. Another, exercise would be the issuing of quality certificates for coir and yarn, called for by foreign buyers of these commodities and finished products. It will save the villager the task of coming to Colombo to have the coir certified, Balakrishnan said.

In 2005 Sri Lanka exported 49,885 tonnes of mattress fibre, bristle fibre and twisted fibre, valued at $12.8 million. In 2004, backed by higher rainfall and enhanced crops, exports brought in $13.4 million in forex.

In 2005, mattress fibre exports brought in $4.6 million, bristol fibre $1.4 million and twisted fibre $6.7 million. Sri Lanka's largest buyers of these products were Japan, Germany, China, USA, Netherlands, and Eastern European countries.

In 2005, Sri Lanka earned $3.6 million from the export of coir yarn and coir twine and $95 million also from exports of tawashi brushes, coir brooms and bristles, rubberised coir pads and mattresses, coir matting, coir geo textiles, moulded coir products for use in horticulture, among other, according to CDA statistics.

In 2004 the figure for such exports was $84 million.