palm are becoming highly prized items in the domestic/export market
segment.President of the Kozhikode District Handicrafts Artisans
Cooperative Society Ramadas Taikandi said the situation now was such
that quite often it was not possible to undertake the bulk orders for
items such as coconut shell ice-cream cups, for instance.Items such as
disposable, environment-friendly coconut shell ice-cream cups and
ladles and spoons made of coconut wood are in large demand during
sports matches and other large gatherings within the country as well
as abroad, he said."We now have an order for 50 lakh coconut-wood
spoons to be supplied in a year, from a milk marketing federation in
Bihar," said Mr. Ramdas.The bulk orders, including one from abroad for
one lakh ice-cream cups, cannot be undertaken easily owing to labour
shortage and other difficulties, he said. Power cuts pose a major
problem. The unit does not have adequate infrastructure facilities,
including state-of-the-art machinery, he added.The society's
manufacturing unit in Koyilandy has developed into a prestigious
centre in crafting out artefacts from coconut palm byproducts over the
years.The unit, which was developed in a phased manner, now employs as
many as 20 women on a regular basis, as a self-employment venture.
Besides daily wages, medical, washing and festival allowances are paid
to the women. The unit has been functioning for over 16 years now.The
Handicrafts Ministry under the Government of India and the Coconut
Development Board have provided assistance to sustain the handicrafts
centre. The Union Agriculture Ministry has chipped in with various
assistance schemes.Design development training was provided to the
employees by experts from Hyderabad.However, red-tapism has been a
major obstacle preventing the society from getting various assistance
schemes of the Union government for handicrafts development through
the Kerala Handicrafts Development Corporation, sources alleged.The
handicrafts development society has its origin in the Handicrafts
Development Centre set up in 1938. As part of a revival package, a sum
of Rs.7.5 lakh was sanctioned for the centre in 1995. A site
comprising 3.5 cents of land was bought, though state-of-the-art
machinery was yet to be installed.Self-help groups for manufacturing
the traditional 'Koyilandy' or 'Malabar' hooka have also been
formed.Mr. Ramadas claimed the Koyilandy hooka, along with the coconut
shell artefacts, was now in the process of being accorded the
geographical indication registration by the Chennai-based registration
centre.
The Hindu, 24th November 2008
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