India's Coconut and Coir Economy
Coir: Fibre From Husks
How coir fibre is extracted from coconut husks, why Kerala's coir industry employs many women, and the traditional retting in backwaters.
Coir comes from coconut husks.
Extraction
- Husks are retted (soaked) in backwaters for months, or processed mechanically.
- Fibre is beaten out and spun into yarn.
Kerala
Alappuzha (Alleppey) is the traditional coir capital.
Women workers
Coir spinning and weaving employ many women, often in cooperatives.
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu now produces a large share of coir fibre using mechanised methods.
Pollution
Backwater retting can pollute water.
Coir Board
The Coir Board, set up in 1953, supports the industry.
The spinning cooperative
Women in an Alappuzha cooperative spin coir yarn on traditional wheels.
Thinking coconut husks are waste
They make coir.
Key takeaways
- Coir comes from husks.
- Alappuzha is the traditional coir capital.
- Many women work in coir.
- Tamil Nadu mechanised production.
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