Exports of Coir and Coir products from India in 2012-13 registered an all-time high record of Rs 1,116 crore, an increase of Rs 64 crore from the previous year, Coir Board Chairman G Balachandran said here Wednesday.

During the previous year, the total exports of coir and coir products was Rs 1,052.6 crore.

About 4,29,500 tonnes of coir and coir products were exported in 2012-13 against 4,10,854 tonnes during the preceding year, a board press release said.

There was a five per cent increase in quantity and six per cent increase in total value, it added.
While coir fibre, tufted mat, coir matting, coir geotextiles and coir pith registered a positive growth of two to 21 per cent; coir yearn, handloom mat, powerloom mat, coir rope, rubberise coir, curled coir, coir rugs and carpets and other items recorded a negative growth of 3 to 87 per cent.

About 76 per cent of the total exports were contributed by non-traditional products, whereas handloom products like mats, mattings, coir geotextile put together contributed only 24 per cent of the total exports, the release said.

Exports were made to 112 countries, out of which share of the US was 22.8 per cent in value and 13 per cent in quantity.

China continued to be the largest importer of coir fibre from India and contributed 19.4 per cent in value and 33.8 per cent in quantity.