A surge in demand for coconut pulp has led to higher prices of coir and coir at Pollachi in Coimbatore district.
Famous for its coconut groves, Pollachi has more than 60 units exporting coconuts and all are working at full capacity.
Coconut pulp is priced at ₹52 per kg against ₹16 per kg in October 2024 and coir at ₹12 per kg compared with ₹7 last year. In case of husks, farmers used to sell it at 50 paisa each and now it costs ₹3.
About 100 container loads of pulp are exported from Pollachi almost every day, said S. Mahesh Kumar, president of the Coconut Pulp Association of India.
With poor rainfall and pest attacks affecting coconut farms in Pollachi last year, coconut farmers saw a 30% drop in production.
However, this year’s rains are good and demand for coir and coir has surged in recent months.
“We used to export mainly to the US and the EU. Now there is huge demand from China and South American countries. The reason is the growing trend of growing berries, especially blue berries, in grow bags. Coconut pulp is a suitable medium for growing blue berries,” he said.
In addition to continued demand for coir from China, demand for coconut pulp has also increased, pushing prices up. “Farmers have benefited immensely from the surge in demand and prices as coconut husk prices have increased manifold,” he said.
Published – 29 Oct 2025 19:46 IST
