Coir production in Kerala

From the archive record

One can see workers engage in coir production in a coir industry at Kalavoor, Kerala. Kerala is the home of coir industry in India. Coir rope-making is a common cottage industry in India. The Coconut fibre is attached to hooks on a wheel that is turned by hand. This twists the coir while more is added. It forms a strong rope that doesn’t unwind or break. Among the natural fibre, coir has some unique characteristic particularly its rigidity, durability and friction. The number of strands required for a strand of rope is determined by the diameter of the strand and the fineness of the yarn used. The diameter of the strand is in turn determined by the diameter of the rope and number of the strands constituting the rope. Therefore, by varying the number of yarns in the strand and the number o