Constraints Faced by the Coir Workers and the Coir Co-operative Societies in the Production of Coir Yarn in Alappuzha and Kollam Districts of Kerala

Abstract

The research aimed to identify and analyse the constraints faced by the coir workers and the coir cooperative societies throughout the coir yarn production process. Alappuzha and Kollam districts were selected for the study because the coir yarn production in Kerala is concentrated mainly in these districts. A total of 60 coir co-operative societies (30 from each district) were selected randomly. Four coir workers were randomly chosen from each society, totalling 240 coir workers. The study was carried out in the year 2023. Both the workers and the secretaries of these cooperative societies provided insights into the key obstacles impeding coir yarn production. These constraints were ranked using Garrett’s ranking technique. The coir workers highlighted some major constraints such as health problems related to the work, inadequate wages, irregular employment, and absence of job security and retirement benefits. Coir yarn production within Kerala’s cooperative sector faced numerous challenges, major ones being shortage of labour, delayed payments from Coirfed for the coir sold by the co-operative societies, lack of financial support from higher organizations/inadequate funding, and lack of active workers. This method provided a detailed understanding of the barriers impacting both the workforce and the operations of the cooperatives. The findings of this study will assist policymakers and authorities in implementing targeted interventions to enhance coir yarn production within the cooperative sector.