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Bagerhat-based firm starts exporting coconut yarn

Kawsar Khan
A Bagerhat-based firm has started exporting coconut yarn on limited scales to South Korea and Nepal, a non-traditional item in the country's 'not-so-rich' export basket.
Nurjahan Agro Processing Industries (Pvt) Limited uses coconut husks to manufacture different types of yarn meant forexport.
Coconut yarn-made rope, also known as coir yarn, is being exported to South Korea. Coir yarn is used in agriculture, especially for growing hops, a climbing plant that is a major ingredient in beer, giving the drinkitsbittertaste.
Around 76 percent of the country's total export earning comes from the apparel industry. Other major export items include shrimp and jute products, while other non-.traditional items include atar (traditional perfume), pearl, honey and sauce.
In July-March period of 2007-08 fiscal year, Bangladesh earned Tk 14.45 crore.
The company begem exports seven months ago and till now has exported coir yarn worth Tk 17 lakh to South Korea. It also received export orders worth Tk 1.8 crore for the next year Simultaneously, it exported four tonnes of curl yarn worth Tk 5.4 lakh to Nepal
and received orders for Tk 12 lakh for the next year.
"Husk is a by-product of coconut and is presently disposed of in the country. We are exporting this product with substantial value additions,” said Mir Alamin, managing director of the company.
The size of the global coir market is estimated at $ 5 bil-lion. The Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Mexico, India, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and Brazil are the major exporters of the product in the global scenario.
/Mamin is also producing nata de coco, a jelly like substance, made from coconut water, in the country for the
first time. This is mostly used as a confectionary ingredient (litchi flavour) and five-star hotels are the main customers of this product. They supply 50 tonnes of nata per month to the local market and the cost of each tonne is Tk 70,000, according to the company officials.
Nurjahan Agro receives financial assistance from Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and from their partners, Habitat and Economy Lifting Programme (HELP), a local NGO.
Alamin, who attended a coconut conference in Colombo in 2002, feels that Bangladesh is ignorant of the
numerous uses of coconut husk.
tn the near future, they will manufacture coconut husk mattresses, as there is a huge demand in the domestic and international markets. Currently, the country imports mattresses from Sri Lanka and India at $ 10 per square feet.
The company also wishes to produce vinegar, using coconut water as the best type of vinegar is produced with coconut oil. "Coconut oil factories just throw out coconut water, which can be used to produce vinegar," said Hasan Alfi, an official of HELP.
kawsar@thedailystar.net