Kerala initiates branding campaign to promote coir products

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 24: Kerala is initiating an extensive branding campaign to promote the state's coir products in the domestic and international market, state Co-operation and Coir Minister G Sudhakaran said today.

Informing this at a news conference here, he said creating a brand identity for coir products was one of the strategies adopted for boosting up sale of coir products in the domestic and export market.

Claiming that Kerala's coir was internationally qualified commodity, Mr Sudhakaran said to sustain the tradition, government proposed to introduce brand logo to ensure the quality product to the customer all over the world.

For the purpose a logo, 'Kerala Coir Golden Yarn of God's Own Country' was designed and introduced to give a new dimension to the coir and coir products as part of marketing strategy, he said and added that Union Minister of State for Commerce would unveil the newly designed brand logo here on the Republic Day.

Stating that the branding exercise was decided to achieve the right differentiation and exclusiveness of Kerala's coir products, the Minister said the process would help the state owned products to set a benchmark in quality.

Pointing out the estimated potential market of Rs 1,000 for the traditional coir products like door mats, mattings and carpets, he said it had to be taped by suitable marketing strategies.

The state was giving special emphasis to the industry, aimed at increasing the utilisation of maximum husk for production of fiber, to enhance domestic and international market and strengthening Research and Development, he said adding that the government was expected to boost the export sales to Rs 1,500 crore and domestic sales to Rs 3,000 crore over the next five years.

Mr Sudhakaran said the government would take all steps to ensure reasonable price to coir products in the state. About Rs 60 crore was included in the plan fund for the coir industry, he added.

UNI