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Rajahmundry March 19 The Coir Board is planning to set up a coir technology demonstration centre and later a coir lab here during the current financial year, according to Mr M. Kumar Raja, Secretary of the board.

After inaugurating a one-day seminar on coir industry in Andhra Pradesh here on Monday, he said the regional office of the board had been shifted from Visakhapatnam to Rajahmundry to make it more accessible to farmers. "The two Godavari districts account for the bulk of coconut production in the State and therefore, in response to the pleas of farmers, the regional office has been shifted from Vizag to Rajahmundry," he said.

He said that Rs 60 crore was allotted to the board for the development of the industry during the current financial year, of which Rs 2 crore would be spent in Andhra Pradesh.

EXPORTS

During 2006-07, coir products worth Rs 12 crore were exported from the State to China and Russia and during the current financial year, the target was set at Rs 15 crore, he said.

The board was giving Rs 2 lakh subsidy to the small-scale units and the ceiling on the number of units to be given subsidy during a year had been lifted, in response to the pleas from the industry, he said.

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